The CHELL : A Bottom-Up approach to in vitro and in silico Minimal Life-like Constructs

这项工作旨在产生具有模仿生物细胞特性的人造物体。具体来说，我们开始测试人造细胞是否有可能模仿自然细胞对生物信号的反应。我们的目标不是制造一种人工生命形式，而是试图评估自然细胞使用的某些过程（信号）是否可以被合成细胞模仿，从而使自然细胞无法分辨出其中的区别。这项工作将涉及模拟、设计、制备和评估胶囊状结构，结合计算机科学、化学、材料科学，并进一步关注人工细胞系统的潜在伦理和社会方面。模仿细胞的胶囊将包含我们可以用作信号传导和代谢模型的化学物质，并且将被设计成这样，我们可以在与真实细胞的“对话”和“模仿游戏”中使用胶囊和来自它们的信号。这项工作的目的是作为一项基本的好奇心驱动的调查，并解决了最小生命结构的科学、社会和伦理方面的问题。然而，如果我们证明确实有可能通过人工胶囊与自然细胞“交谈”，那么这项工作将有许多潜在的副产品。例子可能包括“智能”抗生素、用于局部定向治疗的药物载体和用于组织修复的智能材料。

This work is directed towards generating artificial objects that have properties mimicking those of biological cells. Specifically we set out to test if it is possible for an artificial cell to imitate a natural cell in terms of responding to biological signals. We do not aim to produce an artificial life-form but rather we seek to evaluate whether some processes (signals) that natural cells use can be imitated by the synthetic cells such that the natural cells are unable to tell the difference. The work will involve the modelling, design, preparation and evaluation of capsule-like structures using a combination of compuer science, chemistry, materials science, with a further focus on potential ethical and social aspects of artificial cellular systems. The cell-imitating capsules will contain chemistries we can use as models of signalling ands metabolism, and will be designed such that we can use the capsules and signals to/from them in 'conversations' and 'imitation games' with real cells.The work is intended as fundamental curiosity-driven investigation and addresses the scientific, societal and ethical aspects of minimal-life constructs, However, there are many potential spin-outs of this work if we show that it is indeed possible to 'talk' to natural cells via artificial capsules. Examples might include 'smart' antibiotics, drug carriers for locally-directed therapies and intelligent materials for tissue repair.