Scientists have produced the first living synthetic bacterial cells by transplanting a synthetic genome into bacteria whose own genomes were destroyed. The team at the J. Craig Venter Institute calls these revived cells 'zombie cells'. The method addresses challenges in synthetic biology by ensuring control over the new genome.
Researchers led by John Glass at the J. Craig Venter Institute in La Jolla, California, killed cells of the bacterium Mycoplasma capricolum using the chemotherapy drug mitomycin C, which damages DNA and prevents reproduction. As team member Zumra Seidel explained, “The cell is still healthy but since it cannot reproduce any more and the genome is not functional any more, it is destined to die or it’s already dead.” They then transplanted a synthetic version of the genome from Mycoplasma mycoides into these non-functional cells via whole-genome transplantation. Some cells grew and divided normally, with genetic tests confirming the presence of the synthetic genome. Glass described the process: “We take a cell without a genome and it is functionally dead. But by adding a new genome, that cell is resurrected.” This marks the first synthetic bacterial cells made purely from non-living parts, overcoming issues like horizontal gene transfer that complicated prior efforts, such as the 2010 synthetic cell creation. Kate Adamala at the University of Minnesota praised it as a technical breakthrough, noting the cells were booted up without help from the host's repair mechanisms. She added that it blurs the line between life and non-life, questioning hallmarks like metabolism and replication. Elizabeth Strychalski at the National Institute of Standards and Technology suggested the work prompts an engineering view of life's processes. The team envisions applications in producing drugs, fuels, or environmental remediation, with potential expansion to organisms like E. coli. Akos Nyerges at Harvard Medical School highlighted its reliability for genome transfer. The Mycoplasma species used are pathogens in goats and cattle, but modifications do not increase virulence, and lab practices minimize escape risks. The findings appear in a bioRxiv preprint dated March 13, 2026.
