Over the course of the last five years the field of synthetic bioengineering has grown by leaps and bounds. Just a few short years ago researchers were celebrating the creation of the first synthetic cells, with hopes of creating a living eukaryotic cell sometime in the near future.

Now, in a major step towards that goal, Dutch researchers at the Radboud University Nijmegen have created the world’s first plastic-based eukaryotic cell.

While the dream still persists of producing a living eukaryotic cell, a plastic-based version brings this vision one step closer to reality, as scientists now have a realistic means for testing how basic chemistry transforms itself into elementary life.

To create their eukaryote, Radboud researchers used a droplet of water as the foundation for their polymer-based cell. Once their liquid base was in place, the cell’s organelles were engineered by injecting specifically tailored enzymes into polystyrene spheres. With a number of these synthetic organelles assembled, a plastic cellular wall ensnared each of the unique sub-cellular operators, binding them into one plastic-based eukaryotic cell.

After its assembly, lead researcher Jan van Hest and his research associate Ruud Peters were able to verify that they had created a functional cellular lab by illuminating it via florescence. Under the carefully tuned light, researchers could see chemical chain reactions occurring within their plastic cell.

With this proof of concept in hand, Jan van Hest says his future research will continue to develop more life-like synthetic cells. “We are also working on ways of controlling the movement of chemicals within the cell, towards organelles," says van Hest. "By simulating these things, we are able to better understand living cells. One day we will even be able to make something that looks very much like the real thing."

Armed with a cellular laboratory that mimics the scale of a biological building block, synthetic biologists may now be able to conduct experiments that mirror cellular level chemistry; hopefully leading to further breakthroughs in the months and years to come.

Images Courtesy of Radboud University Nijmegen