"People have thought for quite a long time that we've worked out all the ways that life can reproduce or replicate, but this is something that's never been observed before," Douglas Blackiston, co-author and a senior scientist at Tufts University and Harvard University, said in a news release.
The xenobots were first developed and reported in 2020. They are made from about 3,000 embryonic skin cells of an African clawed frog.
The researchers discovered that these xenobots -- when designed properly -- can swim around while collecting hundreds of single cells to assemble smaller versions of themselves in their mouths. These smaller xenobots can grow to be full-size within a few days.
This method of reproduction is known as kinematic replication and is common in molecules, but has never been seen in cells or organisms.
"This is profound," Michael Levin, a co-leader of the study and a professor of biology and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University. "These cells have the genome of a frog, but, freed from becoming tadpoles, they use their collective intelligence, a plasticity, to do something astounding."
To discover the xenobots’ reproduction capabilities, the researchers used a supercomputer at the University of Vermont to simulate billions of body shapes to determine what would be ideal for kinematic replication.
Months later, the computer returned a xenobot in a shape that resembled a Pac-Man figure, with a large mouth that can be used to build other xenobots.
“It looks very simple, but it's not something a human engineer would come up with,” said Sam Kriegman, the lead author of the study and a post-doctoral researcher at Tufts University and Harvard University.
For those concerned about the idea of self-replicating biotechnology, the researchers stress federal, state and institutional ethics experts also approved the study. It is also contained in a lab and can be extinguished easily.
“What presents risk is the next pandemic, accelerating ecosystem damage from pollution, (and) intensifying threats from climate change," said Joshua Bongard, a computer scientist and robotics expert at the University of Vermont.
"This is an ideal system in which to study self-replicating systems. We have a moral imperative to understand the conditions under which we can control it, direct it, douse it, exaggerate it."
The researchers also note that this technology has a host of potential benefits for humans, including regenerative medicine, cleaning ocean pollution and vaccine research.
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
King Charles III gave public remarks for Maundy Thursday, addressing the importance of acts of friendship, following his and Catherine, Princess of Wales’ cancer diagnoses.
Premier Doug Ford says that lawsuits launched by four Ontario school boards against a trio of social media platforms are “nonsense” and risk becoming a distraction to the work that really matters.
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
A new survey from the Angus Reid Institute has found that a majority of Canadians believe in some form of life after death, a proportion that has held steady for decades.
Canada has recorded the fastest population growth in 66 years, increasing by 1.3 million people, or 3.2 per cent, in 2023, according to a new report from Statistics Canada.
Russian investigators said on Thursday they had found proof that gunmen who killed more than 140 people at a concert last week were linked to 'Ukrainian nationalists,' an assertion immediately dismissed by the United States as baseless propaganda.
Russian President Vladimir Putin scoffed at the possibility of his country launching an attack on a NATO member, calling it "sheer nonsense," but warned that any Western air base hosting U.S.-made F-16 fighter jets that are slated for deployment in Ukraine would be a "legitimate target" for the Kremlin's forces.
Pope Francis looked well as he washed and kissed the feet of 12 women prisoners on Thursday at a traditional ritual on the first of four event-filled days leading to Easter for the 87-year-old pontiff.
Human trafficking-fuelled fraud is exploding in Southeast Asia with organized crime rings raking in close to US$3 trillion in illicit revenue annually, the head of Interpol has said in comments that reveal the huge profits being earned by cartels.
A French high school student is being sued by the government for falsely accusing her former principal of assaulting her after he made her remove her headscarf on school premises, the country's prime minister said Wednesday.
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
Companies that already offer ways to allow rent payments to count toward credit scores are welcoming the plan by the federal government to make the practice more widespread.
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
The number of confirmed measles cases in Canada so far this year is more than three times higher than all infections recorded in 2023, the country's chief public health officer said as she urged people to ensure their vaccinations are up to date.
“We don’t want to suspend,” says Dr. David Aoki with Waterloo Region Public Health. “We want to get them up-to-date and also remind parents you need to get this shot. It’s important.”
Visualizing a memory is a common occurrence for many people. A whiff of cinnamon and ginger may whisk you back to your childhood kitchen to relive eating freshly baked cookies, while hearing a particular tune may trigger images of dancing with a special someone.
For over half their lives, twins Rainey and Evelyn Hauser have shared their dad's attention with a leafy sibling of sorts — an endangered tropical plant called an Amorphophallus titanum.
Ancient DNA recovered from the remains of a sixth century Chinese emperor who ruled during the country’s dark ages has shed some light on what the leader may have looked like.
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
In February, the artist and ink-maker Thomas Little loaded up his van and travelled around North Carolina to paint 20 delicate, lonely vignettes of American landscapes — each one representing a city in his home state that experienced at least one mass shooting in 2023.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Canada's real gross domestic product grew 0.6 per cent in January, helped by the end of public sector strikes in Quebec in November and December, Statistics Canada said Thursday.
The U.S. economy grew at a solid 3.4 per cent annual pace from October through December, the government said Thursday in an upgrade from its previous estimate. The government had previously estimated that the economy expanded at a 3.2 per cent rate last quarter.
Planks are one of the most effective exercises for strengthening your midsection, as they target all of your major core muscles: the transverse abdominis, rectus abdominis, external obliques and internal obliques. Yet despite the popularity of various 10-minute plank challenges, planking is actually one of the most dreaded core exercises, according to many fitness experts.
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
Wrexham, the Welsh team bought by Ryan Reynolds and fellow Hollywood actor Rob McElhenney in 2021, released its accounts for the latest financial year on Thursday and reported that the amount owed to celebrities has risen to nearly 9 million pounds (US$11.4 million).
Ontario has among the highest rates for auto insurance premiums in Canada -- just below Alberta and Nova Scotia -- however, the introduction of an insurance reform in the provincial budget could soon lower prices.
Officers say 48 vehicles with a combined value of just under $4 million were recently seized as part of a Toronto police investigation focused on the trafficking, shipping, and re-vinning of stolen vehicles.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
It started small with a little pop tab collection to simply raise some money for charity and help someone — but it didn’t take long for word to get out that 10-year-old Jace Weber from Mildmay, Ont. was quickly building up a large supply of aluminum pop tabs.
Mounties from the RCMP's bomb disposal unit completed a controlled detonation at a home on Vancouver Island on Wednesday after a 911 call two days earlier led to the discovery of homemade explosives and the chemicals used to make them.
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Premier Doug Ford is calling on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to bring federal workers back to the office for "a few days" to help boosts the downtown economy, as the Ontario government provides funding to revitalize Ottawa's downtown core.
Ottawa's new city manager was the highest paid public servant at Ottawa City Hall in 2023. The city says fewer employees made $100,000 or more in 2023 compared to 2022.
The Ontario government and the City of Ottawa have reached a new deal to provide $543 million in operating and capital funding to Ottawa over 10 years, including uploading Highway 174 to the province.
A woman has been charged after several buildings, including places of worship, businesses and schools on Montreal's South Shore, were spray painted with swastikas and racist graffiti in recent weeks.
The Parti Quebecois (PQ) has roundly denounced the federal government's 'interference' in Quebec's areas of jurisdiction in relation to its housing announcement.
A Quebec court judge will decide later today whether a man will stand trial on charges of first-degree murder for allegedly killing two children by driving a city bus into a Montreal-area daycare.
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
As the cost of living continues to rise, Alberta seniors will receive some relief in the form of discounts on personal registry services like driver's licences and vehicle registrations.
A New Brunswicker will go to bed Thursday night much richer than he was Wednesday after collecting on a winning lottery ticket he let sit on his bedroom dresser for nearly a year.
Premier Tim Houston announced the establishment of the Nova Scotia Guard, a group of volunteers that will support communities during and after emergencies.
Saskatchewan’s Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said all Grade 12 graduation ceremonies will take place this spring, regardless of any job action teachers may plan to take.
Ochapowace First Nation hockey star Ethan Bear will be away from the Washington Capitals and the NHL for an indefinite period of time after entering the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
A superior court has temporarily blocked the eviction of a Cambridge, Ont. encampment while it hears the case for an emergency injunction against the city.
A Cambridge, Ont. family, evicted from their rental home after the landlord allegedly lost possession of the property, gives us an update on their living situation.
Saskatchewan’s Education Minister Jeremy Cockrill said all Grade 12 graduation ceremonies will take place this spring, regardless of any job action teachers may plan to take.
A blind Saskatoon man is speaking out about a lack of accessibility services offered to him and a group of blind curlers by West Jet while at the Saskatoon airport.
The St. Marys River in the Sault Ste. Marie area is closed to traffic following a 'marine casualty' involving a commercial vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release Thursday.
A single transport crash early Thursday morning on Highway 17 west of Sudbury brought traffic to a stop for several hours, reopening shortly before 10:30 a.m.
The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is asking for the public’s help locating a federal offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant as a result of a breach of his statutory release.
A Kitchener man has been charged with manslaughter in relation to an overdose death in Central Huron. On Sept. 13, 2023, Huron OPP were called to a home in the municipality where a 19-year-old man was found unresponsive and died at the scene.
The Repeat Offender Parole Enforcement (R.O.P.E.) Squad is asking for the public’s help locating a federal offender wanted on a Canada Wide Warrant as a result of a breach of his statutory release.
Mounties from the RCMP's bomb disposal unit completed a controlled detonation at a home on Vancouver Island on Wednesday after a 911 call two days earlier led to the discovery of homemade explosives and the chemicals used to make them.
The federal government is launching a new loan program to help child-care providers in Canada expand their spaces, and will be extending further student loan forgiveness and training options for early childhood educators, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Thursday.
A 49-year-old man has been charged with assault, uttering threats and possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose after an incident in Kelowna Monday night.
A B.C. judge has given the City of Vernon 14 days to make a decision on a business licence application it has left pending without explanation for more than a year.
A protester who unleashed a "race-based tirade" outside a vaccination clinic in B.C.'s Okanagan at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic did not cause a criminal disturbance, a judge has ruled.
The St. Marys River in the Sault Ste. Marie area is closed to traffic following a 'marine casualty' involving a commercial vessel, the U.S. Coast Guard said in a news release Thursday.
A single transport crash early Thursday morning on Highway 17 west of Sudbury brought traffic to a stop for several hours, reopening shortly before 10:30 a.m.
Roughly 50 children will gather in a St. John’s classroom for the first time on Saturday for unique lessons on Ukrainian language, culture and history.