LMP Seminar: Self-regeneration of parts for bottom-up construction of synthetic cells

One approach to constructing synthetic cells from the bottom-up is to assemble them from defined reconstituted components. The PURE system consists of the E. coli ribosome and 36 other essential protein components required for cell-free gene expression. It has thus been proposed as a natural core around which the rest of the synthetic cell could be built. To serve such a purpose, the PURE system must be able to synthesise its own components with appropriate functionality and yield, which we term self-regeneration. This is a prerequisite for the eventual growth and self-replication of the complete synthetic cell. I will present recent work where we demonstrate the functional self-regeneration of RNA polymerase and up to seven aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases simultaneously, using a microfluidic chemostat setup. I will discuss issues we encountered, and the strategies, challenges, and opportunities of this approach going forward.