Okay, so in case you are wondering if science has progressed enough to be able to create life? Then the answer is a plain ‘NO’. But now they have certainly taken a step in that direction with the University of Glasgow creating Inorganic Chemical Cells or iCHELL’s that display some of the living organic cell properties.
This bubble like structures are the iCHELL’s we are talking about formed with metal containing molecules which includes the likes of tungsten linked to oxygen and phosphorous among other combinations. The iCHELL’s exhibit selective permeability, redox activity and chirality as well, which usually are exbhitied by all living organic cells. In simpler words these molecules can reassemble themselves, have an internal structure and are also capable of controlling the transfer of chemicals and in and out of the molecule, thus imitating biological cell properties.
The research is being carried out by Leroy Cronin with other team members and the project is ‘Modular Redox Active Inorganic Chemical Cells: iCHELLs’. Though it was discovered in 1867, this is the first time modular fictionalization and its application has been demonstrated. Mr. Leroy Cronin is confident that this is just the beginning, and one day life will also be able to evolve from metals in the real world. Perhaps, it might just bring Armageddon along.
