Bottom-Up Synthetic Biology Leads to Artificial Cells as Innovative Materials and Calls for the Adoption of Systemic Perspectives

Relevant advancements in the field of synthetic biology have lead to the birth of a new nano-bio-technology based on a new “material”, i.e., the so-called artificial (or synthetic) cells. These terms refer to man-made cell-like systems, which are microcompartments whose size lie in the 0.2–20 µm range that mimic the basic function of biological cells. Artificial cells are generally built for basic science investigations (e.g., what are the minimal requirement for the emergence of life? How did life begin? What phenomena can be spontaneously generated by physico-chemical processes? How complex can an artificial cell be?), but several interesting scenarios can be envisioned in applied science too (e.g., smart drug delivery systems). Artificial cell technology is progressing rapidly, and new exciting reports appear monthly. However, theoretical descriptions of what actually artificial cells are, and how should we conceptually look at them are generally missing. In this contribution we would like to introduce the theme of the need of “systemic perspectives” in artificial cell research, and shortly present three areas for its implementation: (1) the internal reaction network, (2) the artificial cell/environment supra-system, (3) the complexity of artificial cells.