Synthetic cell membrane marks another step towards creation of fully artificial life forms

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The process used by Deveraj and Budin to create a synthetic cell membrane

Chemists have created artificial self-assembling cell membranes that could help shed light on the origins of life (Image: Image: Shutterstock)

Article Summary

The cell membrane is one of the most important characteristics of a cell because it separates the interior of all cells from the extracellular environment and controls the movement of substances in and out of the cell. In a move that brings mankind another step closer to being able to create artificial life forms from scratch, chemists from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), and Harvard University have created artificial self-assembling cell membranes using a novel chemical reaction. The chemists hope their creation will help shed light on the origins of life.

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