Our approach to tissue modeling incorporates biologically derived primitives into a computational engine (CellSim^® coupled with a genetic search algorithm. By expanding an evolved synthetic genome CellSim^® is capable of developing a virtual tissue with higher order properties. Using primitives based on cell signaling, gene networks, cell division, growth, and death, we have encoded a 64‐cell cube‐shaped tissue with emergent capacity to repair itself when up to 60% of its cells are destroyed. Other tissue shapes such as sheets of cells also repair themselves. Capacity for self‐repair is an emergent property derived from, but not specified by, the rule sets used to generate these virtual tissues.