Anchor Lead: Researchers are in the early stages of engineering artificial cells that go through basic biological functions.

Randy Atkins: The building blocks of life, proteins, are being created from D-N-A on silicon chips in the University of Minnesota lab of Vincent Noireaux.

Vincent Noireaux: Merging two different types of material, we have been able to show that we can recreate complex biochemical dynamics.

Randy Atkins: Noireaux says that could lead to new discoveries in biology and allow experiments under conditions that would kill most cells.

Vincent Noireaux: The living organism is not going to let you do what you want.

Randy Atkins: Noireaux thinks combining biological systems with solid state materials could also lead to substances with new properties and applications. With the National Academy of Engineering, Randy Atkins, WTOP News.

• Collaborator: Roy Bar-Ziv at the Weizmann Institute of Science in Isreal