POLYMORPH MODELS

PROTOCELLS

Protocells, 2010. A film by Dr Rachel Armstrong and Michael Simon Toon - Dr Armstrong (senior TED fellow and UCL teaching fellow) created the protocells and footage in this film, in the laboratory at Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London.

Protocells could be the beginning of all life on Earth. They are self assembling chemical systems without DNA, which is generally thought of as the molecule that programs all aspects of the behaviors of living cells. These simple protocells are made only of a small number of chemicals that you might find in any home, yet they are able to sense their environment, modify it, and exhibit complex life-like behaviors such as skin shedding and communication (as evidenced by their interaction and co-ordination). They also exhibit the most comprehensive of life-like qualities; eventual cessation of activity or as we call it, death.

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