Tiny living machines called xenobots can create copies of themselves

Blobs of frog cells exhibit surprising and complex behavior

image of a xenobot parent next to offspring

A xenobot “parent,” shaped like a hungry Pac-Man (shown in red false color), created an “offspring” xenobot (green sphere) by gathering loose frog cells in its opening.

Douglas Blackiston and Sam Kriegman

Tiny “living machines” made of frog cells can replicate themselves, making copies that can then go on to do the same.