DIY Cells: Understanding Life with a Synthetic Minimal Cell

The cell is a fundamental unit of life that is capable of metabolism, synthesizing biological molecules, harnessing energy, and replicating. To understand how life works, researchers elucidate every detail related to cellular function and determine which processes are essential. With this information, scientists constructed the first synthetic minimal cell that encoded only the genes necessary for life in laboratory conditions. In this episode, narrated by Niki Spahich, Sejal Davla from The Scientist’s Creative Services Team spoke with John Glass, a professor and leader of the synthetic biology & bioenergy group at the J. Craig Venter Institute, about how his team achieved this scientific milestone and its significance in understanding life itself.

The Scientist Speaks is a podcast produced by The Scientist’s Creative Services team. Our podcast is by scientists and for scientists. Once a month, we bring you the stories behind news-worthy molecular biology research. This month's episode is sponsored by Integrated DNA Technologies.