April 02, 2026
Researchers have revived “dead” bacterial cells by replacing their inactive DNA with a functional genome from another species, marking a significant advance in genome engineering. Reported on the preprint server bioRxiv, this technique allows entire microbial genomes to be transferred, potentially enabling cells to acquire new capabilities, including producing drugs or biofuels.
Until now, genome transplantation had been limited to species within the same bacterial class. This study demonstrates that even inactive cells can be reactivated with a compatible genome, suggesting the method could be extended to widely studied organisms, such as Escherichia coli, to test engineered genomes.
Olivier Borkowski, a synthetic biologist at INRAE and Paris-Saclay University, called the work a major step forward for synthetic biology, highlighting its potential to expand microbial engineering capabilities.
The importance of this discovery lies in its transformative potential for synthetic biology: by enabling the resurrection and reprogramming of cells at the genomic level, researchers can accelerate the development of engineered microbes for medicine, sustainable chemicals, and other biotechnological applications.
SOURCE: https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-026-00938-6
CREDITS: NATURE JOURNALS