Bacteria-based computing

DNA performs computing functions in living tissue, including our own.

Looks like we just got a breakthrough.

Bacteria make computers look like pocket calculators

Computers are evolving – literally. While the tech world argues netbooks vs notebooks, synthetic biologists are leaving traditional computers behind altogether. A team of US scientists have engineered bacteria that can solve complex mathematical problems faster than anything made from silicon.

The research, published today in the Journal of Biological Engineering, proves that bacteria can be used to solve a puzzle known as the Hamiltonian Path Problem. Imagine you want to tour the 10 biggest cities in the UK, starting in London (number 1) and finishing in Bristol (number 10). The solution to the Hamiltonian Path Problem is the the shortest possible route you can take.

Programming such a computer is no easy task, however. The researchers coded a simplified version of the problem, using just three cities, by modifying the DNA of Escherichia coli bacteria. The cities were represented by a combination of genes causing the bacteria to glow red or green, and the possible routes between the cities were explored by the random shuffling of DNA. Bacteria producing the correct answer glowed both colours, turning them yellow.

I, for one, welcome our new bio-machine overlords.

Comments

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[Medianewstime]

Hehe, well you are far more likely to contract a virus on the door handle of the lab then you are from the actual bacteria computer.

[Mike Zuk]

I too welcome this type of advancement? What's the lifespan of the bacteria? Do they degrade with age? Heat? Cold? Can I grow my own bacteria in my kitchen and get it to calculate my home food budget?