Xenobots are synthetic lifeforms made by cells from frog embryos and assembling them into clusters
Some species do it in pairs, some without knowing the other parties involved, and some even do it on their own: when it comes to replication, nature is nothing if not versatile.
Now researchers say they have found that clusters of frog cells can undergo a form of replication never before seen in plants or animals. The spherical clumps, known as xenobots, can give rise to “offspring” by sweeping up loose cells and swashing them into yet more clusters.
