TABLE 1.

Concepts related to minimal or simpler cells

Concept or construct	Short definition	References
		Scientific landmarks	Reviews
Minimal genome	Simplified genome without nonessential genes (under specific environmental conditions)	17, 25, 26	2, 19, 23, 115, 205
LUCA	Life form commonly accepted to have existed before the divergence of the domains Bacteria, Archaea, and Eukarya; hypothesized to have been inorganically hosteda	7, 94, 95	80, 97, 132, 206–208
Chassis cell	Cell designed for use in industrial production processes with a high degree of controllability and efficiency	4, 101, 102, 105	11, 12
Artificial/semiartificial cell	Cell built in the laboratory (at least partially) with resources to extant genetic and other biological material	8, 145	5, 116, 209–211
Minimal cell models
Protocells	In vitro models of a minimal cell usually containing some kind of biological material encapsulated in liposomes or other lipidic vesicles	10, 139–141	9, 212, 213
In silico minimal cells	Virtual model/reconstruction of any of the possible constructs described above or any other model of a minimal “ome” relevant to the study of the minimal cell	46, 156, 164–166, 169, 170	158, 168

^aSee reference 75.