A Plastic Eukaryote: One Step Closer to Artificial Life

July 3, 2014

(Yale Scientific) – In 2010, American biologist Craig Venter created the first cell with a synthetic genome. Two years later, researchers in San Diego created the first artificial cell membrane. Now, scientists have created the first synthetic eukaryote, bringing artificial life one step closer to reality. From Radboud University in the Netherlands, lead researcher Jan van Hest built his eukaryotic cell from water and plastic polymers.