Bio-like structures were claimed to be a form of synthetic life obtained by the Soviet microbiologist V. O. Kalinenko in distilled water, as well as on an agar gel, under the influence of an electric field.
The original idea behind the experiments was a consequence of Kalinenko's observations made during an expedition studying microorganisms that live at the bottom of sea and ocean waters.
It was assumed that test samples were not contaminated, since the experiments were carried out in sterile laboratory conditions and the formed structures did not resemble microorganisms currently known to science.
[4] Although it has been actually found that some of the structures produced by Kalinenko slightly resembled bacteria or amoebas in their shape and form, the group of workers did not detect any microorganisms in the samples.
[3] Kalinenko's striking declaration that "biostructures" are living units met with bewilderment and skepticism among biologists of the USSR Academy of Sciences.