The creation of synthetic life is not just an academic pursuit—it provides critical insights into the fundamental principles of life and the mechanisms that drove its emergence. Beyond deepening our understanding of biology, synthetic life offers practical applications with the potential to revolutionize biotechnology, medicine, and materials science, leading to tangible societal benefits.

Despite major strides in synthetic biology, systems chemistry, and biophysics, progress toward synthetic life has been hindered by scientific, philosophical, and ethical challenges. These include the lack of a clear definition, vague goals, misaligned interdisciplinary efforts, and public concerns regarding the implications of creating life from non-living matter.

This perspective article, published in Chem, was compiled following a two-week workshop involving 57 scientists from 14 countries. It presents a bold, unified vision for advancing synthetic life, addressing both technical and non-technical obstacles. The study does not shy away from ethical dilemmas and provocative implications but rather encourages the scientific community to embrace these challenges in order to push the field forward responsibly.

By outlining key traits such as resilience, sustainability, and evolution, the paper provides a strategic framework for researchers to navigate the complex landscape of synthetic life. As scientific capabilities progress, this roadmap aims to foster collaboration and innovation in unlocking the next frontier of life’s synthesis.

For more details, read the full paper in Chem.

Study type:
Perspective article

External funding:
The authors would like to thank the Munich Institute for Astro-, Particle and BioPhysics (MIAPbP), which is funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany’s Excellence Strategy – EXC-2094 – 390783311.

Conflicts of interest:
The authors declare no competing interests.

Link to the scientific article:
A roadmap toward the synthesis of life

Christine M.E. Kriebisch, Olga Bantysh, Lorena Baranda Pellejero, Andrea Belluati, Eva Bertosin, Kun Dai, Maria de Roy, Hailin Fu, Nicola Galvanetto, Julianne M. Gibbs, Samuel Santhosh Gomez, Gaetano Granatelli, Alessandra Griffo, Maria Guix, Cenk Onur Gurdap, Johannes Harth-Kitzerow, Ivar S. Haugerud, Gregor Häfner, Pranay Jaiswal, Sadaf Javed, Ashkan Karimi, Shuzo Kato, Brigitte A.K. Kriebisch, Sudarshana Laha, Pao-Wan Lee, Wojciech P. Lipinski, Thomas Matreux, Thomas C.T. Michaels, Erik Poppleton, Alexander Ruf, Annemiek D. Slootbeek, Iris B.A. Smokers, Héctor Soria-Carrera, Alessandro Sorrenti, Michele Stasi, Alisdair Stevenson, Advait Thatte, Mai Tran, Merlijn H.I. van Haren, Hidde D. Vuijk, Shelley F.J. Wickham, Pablo Zambrano, Katarzyna P. Adamala, Karen Alim, Ebbe Sloth Andersen, Claudia Bonfio, Dieter Braun, Erwin Frey, Ulrich Gerland, Wilhelm T.S. Huck, Frank Jülicher, Nadanai Laohakunakorn, L. Mahadavan, Sijbren Otto, James Saenz, Petra Schwille, Kerstin Göpfrich, Christoph A. Weber, and Job Boekhoven.

Contact information:
Associate Professor Ebbe Sloth Andersen
Aarhus University
Interdisciplinary Nanoscience Center (iNANO) and Department of Molecular Biology & Genetics (MBG)
Email:  esa@inano.au.dk