Kate Adamala | |
|---|---|
| Alma mater | University of Warsaw ;Roma Tre University 'Harvard University |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Synthetic biology biologyBioengineering |
| Institutions | University of Minnesota |
| Doctoral advisor | Jack Szostak andPier Luigi Luisi |
| Other academic advisors | Ed Boyden |
| Website | protobiology |
Katarzyna (Kate) P Adamala is an Americansynthetic biologist and a professor of genetics at theUniversity of Minnesota.[1][2][3]
Adamala's work includes contributions to the field ofastrobiology,synthetic cell engineering[4] andbiocomputing.[5]
Her research on prebiotic RNA replication provided an experimental scenario for theRNA world hypothesis of theorigin of life.[6] She has worked on constructingliposome bioreactorsynthetic cells.[7]
She is a founder and steering group member of theBuild-a-Cell Initiative, an international collaboration for creation of synthetic live cells.[8][9] She is a co-founder of synthetic cell company Synlife.[10]Adamala andSzostak demonstrated non enzymatic RNA replication in primitive protocells is only possibly in presence of weak cation chelator like citric acid, providing further evidence for central role of citric acid in primordial metabolism.doi:10.1126/science.1241888
In 2017 Adamala gave a TEDx talk entitledLife but not Alive about how and why humans can create synthetic cells.[11]
In December 2024, Adamala co-authored a perspective article inScience calling for a moratorium on the creation of fully synthetic mirror-image microorganisms.[12] "Mirror life" refers to organisms constructed entirely from mirror-image versions of natural biomolecules, such as L-sugars and D-amino acids, which are opposite inchirality to those found in terrestrial life. Adamala and co-authors cited concerns that such organisms could pose biosafety risks, including the possibility that they might evade immune detection or be resistant to existing antibiotics.
The statement was co-signed by 37 scientists, includingNobel Prize laureatesGreg Winter andJack W. Szostak. They argued that the field, while promising, requires a comprehensive risk assessment before advancing further.[13][14]
Other researchers expressed skepticism, arguing that current technical limitations make the creation of such organisms unlikely in the near future. Chemist and Nobel laureateBenjamin List was among those who questioned the urgency of the concerns, stating that while bioethical caution is important, the field remains at a very early stage.[15]
| Academics | |
|---|---|
| Artists | |
  | This article about a biologist from the United States is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
