Abstract

Motivated by the promising results of the European project HYDRA and in contrast to top-down synthetic biology approaches which minimize existing cells, the European project PACE (Programmable Artificial Cell Evolution) focused on microscopic compartments built of biologically relevant organic lipid molecules in a bottom-up strategy. By implementing metabolic processes, inheritance and information processing that induce cell viability, cell division, information transfer over generations the consortium intended to realize single compartments that converged towards living cells. To reduce complexity of the problem, the aspects featuring natural living systems should have been first realized extrinsically on a microfluidic system and then gradually transferred to the compartments. For instance, instead of producing energy to power their metabolism on their own, compartments would have been circling around in the microfluidic channels and been recharged by induced fusion smaller compartments. The energy production subsequently would have become intrinsic as the metabolism produces its own energy.

The Artificial Intelligence Laboratory of the University of Zurich was engaged in evaluating potential applications of the (pre-)living microscopic compartments. In order to exploit the physical-chemical principles provided by nature and realized in each organism, the basic approach of PACE to use biologically relevant materials proved to be right on track. To max out the encouraging concepts of PACE, we proposed to replace the centralized control on a microfluidic chip and the all-in-one solution realized in a single compartment by an increased local control and a modular design. The promising results of the multicompartment wetware system of predefined architecture are reflected in the basic concept of the project MATCHIT (follow up of the PACE project) that base on multicompartment assemblies.

The PACE project created, analyzed and investigated the applications of elementary pre-living units and hence created the foundation for a new generation of embedded hybrid IT that is robust and adaptive. The importance of life-like properties, such as self-repair, self-assembly, self-reproduction and evolvability, for computational systems was identified. By introducing multi-modular design, localized control, and exploitation of the medium, the PACE project constituted ‘the foundation for a new generation of embedded IT using programmable chemical systems’ (http://www.istpace.org). Moreover, the PACE project initiated and founded a new European Centre for Living Techology in Venice that has now achieved independent funding.

Keywords: artificial cell, complex systems, self-organization, nano-robotics

Webpages: http://www.forschungsportal.ch/unizh/p6122.htm, http://www.istpace.org

Contacts: Dr. John McCaskill (Project Leader), Dr. Ruedi Füchslin, Maik Hadorn

Funding Source: 6th FWP (Sixth Framework Programme), EU-IST-FP6-FET-002035 pro-actives Integrated Project, European Union

In Collaboration with: Dr. Lukas Lichtensteiger, Harvard University, United States / Prof. John McCaskill, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany / European Center for Living Technologies, Venice, Italy

Duration of Project: Apr 2004 to Jun 2008