‘Potential applications include new screening methods for antibiotics and medicines, biosensors and solutions to antimicrobial resistance’. Designing synthetic cellular systems will also enable humankind to produce new, smart and environmentally-friendly materials for high-tech industry, new biofuels and biodegradable polymers. It will also help facilitate the sustainable production of safe and healthy food.
Consortium
‘A major challenge of this kind cannot be tackled by a single research group or even a single scientific discipline’, says Dogterom. ‘It calls for the concerted efforts of scientists who excel in various fields of research. This is why we are taking on the challenge of building a synthetic cell with a group of leading Dutch scientists with complementary knowledge of chemistry, physics and biology. For the first time, the consortium brings together a truly interdisciplinary team of experts to construct the first synthetic cell from the bottom up.’
BaSyC (Building a Synthetic Cell) is a joint project involving TU Delft, University of Groningen, VU University Amsterdam, Wageningen University & Research, Radboud University Nijmegen and AMOLF.
With the NWO Gravitation programme, the government encourages outstanding research in the Netherlands. It is intended for scientific consortia that have the potential to rank among the world's best
‘Life from the lab’, research story from TU Delft Faculty of Applied Sciences.
'Synthetic cells - Towards the giant leap from molecules to life’