Synthetic cell research: Is technical progress leaving theoretical and epistemological investigations one step behind?

Frontiers in Robotics and AI

Robotics and AI

Pasquale Stano¹  Luisa Damiano² 

[1] Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences and Technologies (DiSTeBA), University of Salento, Lecce, Italy;RG-ESA (Research Group on the Epistemology of the Sciences of the Artificial), Libera Università di Lingue e Comunicazione (IULM), Milan, Italy;

关键词: autopoiesis;    artificial or synthetic models;    cognition;    cybernetics;    epistemology of the sciences of the artificial;    philosophy of science;    synthetic biology;    synthetic cells;   

DOI  :  10.3389/frobt.2023.1143196

 received in 2023-01-12, accepted in 2023-03-06,  发布年份 2023

来源: Frontiers

【 摘 要 】

Advancements in the research on so-called “synthetic (artificial) cells” have been mainly characterized by an important acceleration in all sorts of experimental approaches, providing a growing amount of knowledge and techniques that will shape future successful developments. Synthetic cell technology, indeed, shows potential in driving a revolution in science and technology. On the other hand, theoretical and epistemological investigations related to what synthetic cells “are,” how they behave, and what their role is in generating knowledge have not received sufficient attention. Open questions about these less explored subjects range from the analysis of the organizational theories applied to synthetic cells to the study of the “relevance” of synthetic cells as scientific tools to investigate life and cognition; and from the recognition and the cultural reappraisal of cybernetic inheritance in synthetic biology to the need for developing concepts on synthetic cells and to the exploration, in a novel perspective, of information theories, complexity, and artificial intelligence applied in this novel field. In these contributions, we will briefly sketch some crucial aspects related to the aforementioned issues, based on our ongoing studies. An important take-home message will result: together with their impactful experimental results and potential applications, synthetic cells can play a major role in the exploration of theoretical questions as well.

【 授权许可】

Unknown   
Copyright © 2023 Stano and Damiano.