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What's inside a cell?

EngBio IRC

Created on March 25, 2025

Explore what's inside a cell and how scientists can engineer these tiny machines to make useful things!

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What's inside a cell?

How are Cambridge Researchers Engineering Cells for a Better Future?

What's inside a cell?

How are Cambridge Researchers Engineering Cells for a Better Future?

Illustration credit: CC BY-SA 2.0 Tomáš Kebert, umimeto.org. Adapted by Stephanie Norwood

Scientists at the University of Cambridge study cells to understand how they work. They can also engineer cells to do new and useful things.

Cells to makegreen energy

Cells tomake food

Cells to treat diseases

Scientists can engineer cells to produce and store green energy and to make more sustainable fuels.

How can cells help make green energy?

What research is going on at the University of Cambridge?

Watch a video

Tell me more!

Scientists can grow cells in bioreactors to make food. This is known as 'cellular agriculture'.

How can cells help to make food?

What research is going on at the University of Cambridge?

Watch a video

Tell me more!

Scientists can alter human cells to help treat diseases such as cancer, dementia and sickle cell disease.

How can cells help to treat diseases?

What research is going on at the University of Cambridge?

Watch a video

Tell me more!

How can cells help to make food?

Cellular agriculture can use cells from animals, plants, bacteria, yeast or algae. It can be used to make food for humans and for other animals.

Algae can be grownas a nutritious food ingredient.

Meat cells can be grown without having to farm animals ('cultured meat').

How can cells help make green energy?

Microbial fuel cells and 'biobatteries' can convert and store energy

Cells can make biofuels and produce green energy using 'synthetic or semi-synthetic photosynthesis'.

How can cells help to treat diseases?

CAR-T therapy involves editing a patient's immune cells to target cancer cells.

The cells are then put back into the patient's bloodstream to find and attack cancer cells.

CAR-T therapy was first used in 2017 and the NHS use it to treat some types of leukaemia and lymphoma cancers.

What research is going on at the University of Cambridge?

Scientists in Erwin Reisner's lab are using cells as biological machines for sustainable chemistry. They provide the cells with solar energy to create new clean fuels and chemicals than can currently not be made synthetically.

Reisner Research Group

What research is going on at the University of Cambridge?

The Alternative Protein Society is connecting researchers and local businesses interested in this area.

Cambridge Alternative Protein Society

What research is going on at the University of Cambridge?

Scientists in Mike Chapman's lab are studying how to make CAR-T therapy better.

Chapman Research Group