https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-026-10259-3

https://www.cas.cn/syky/202603/t20260320_5104720.shtml

Researchers at the CAS Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology have constructed a programmable cell differentiation and proportion control platform based on recombinases. This platform acts like a “cell programmer,” enabling a single progenitor cell to autonomously generate multiple daughter cells from bacterial, yeast, and mammalian cells. Based on this platform, researchers can not only regulate the results of cell differentiation but also further design the proportional relationships and division of labor among cells.

The team first constructed a “microbial community color palette” system, allowing progenitor cells to differentiate into two daughter cells that synthesize different pigments. By adjusting the ratio, the entire population exhibited a continuous color change from deep purple to bright orange.

Subsequently, the team applied this platform to cellulose degradation, allowing different daughter cells to undertake different tasks, significantly reducing the burden on individual cells to perform all functions while maintaining overall efficiency.

The platform not only enables cells to “divide” but also allows them to “cooperate,” further demonstrating the application potential of quantitative synthetic biology in the design of complex cell populations.Recom