Viewing a single comment thread. View all comments

Liosan t1_irluzk2 wrote

Reply to comment by WorldwidePies in What lifeform has the shortest genetic sequence? by teafuck

Could you point us to more details about these synthetic cells?

13

Adili811416 t1_irmg23u wrote

Those aren't really "synthetic cells". Some groups take those organisms with really small genomes, like Mycoplasma genitalium and try to cut out even more genes and see what is essential for the cell to live

21

WorldwidePies t1_irmzlf7 wrote

As was said, it’s not about scientists building cells from scratch. It’s using existing cells with simple genomes and stripping it down to the essentials.

This is done to study which genes are and are not essential to life.

Read about it here.

4