MIT bacterial circuit boards are opening a new direction in biological computing, with researchers engineering living bacteria to perform tasks normally associated with electronic circuits. The MIT team modified Pantoea agglomerans bacteria to function like biological transistors that process and relay chemical signals. Unlike conventional computers that use electrical current, these living circuits use molecules to carry information between bacterial colonies. Researchers also created biological relay strains to connect individual components and arranged the colonies in patterns resembling a circuit board. The system has already demonstrated logic operations, including OR and implication gates, along with circuits that can add inputs and direct signals. The largest demonstration involved a two-input adder using 24 bacterial colonies. Although biological computing is much slower than electronic computing, the technology could eventually help plants and other living systems detect environmental threats, process information and respond automatically. The breakthrough highlights how biotechnology and computer science are increasingly converging to create entirely new forms of computing.
MIT Bacterial Circuit Boards: Living Cells Can Now Compute
