Bacterial Computing: Living Microbes Powering Next-Gen. Circuits

Researchers at Imperial College London have developed a groundbreaking biological computing system using engineered E. coli bacteria that function as logic gates—the fundamental components of computers. Published in Nature Biotechnology, this innovation uses proteins and genetic material to perform calculations while consuming approximately 1/10,000th the energy of silicon-based computing. The team created modular "transcription factor-based logic modules" that can be assembled into functional circuits within living cells, responding to chemical inputs by producing specific protein outputs. Initial applications focus on environmental monitoring and medical diagnostics, with potential uses in pharmaceutical manufacturing and wastewater treatment. Unlike traditional computing infrastructure that consumes significant electricity, these bacterial computers reproduce themselves, operate at room temperature, and run on simple sugars, potentially reducing the carbon footprint of certain computational tasks by over 99%. While challenges remain—including slower processing speeds and biosecurity concerns—this technology represents not just an advancement but a paradigm shift that reimagines computation through biology.

https://www.ihadnoclue.com/article/1108585327516418049