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Fedorec AJH, Treloar NJ, Wen KY, Dekker L, Ong QH, Jurkeviciute G, Lyu E, Rutter JW, Zhang KJY, Rosa L, Zaikin A, Barnes CP. Emergent digital bio-computation through spatial diffusion and engineered bacteria. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4896. [PMID: 38851790 PMCID: PMC11162413 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49264-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 05/30/2024] [Indexed: 06/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Biological computing is a promising field with potential applications in biosafety, environmental monitoring, and personalized medicine. Here we present work on the design of bacterial computers using spatial patterning to process information in the form of diffusible morphogen-like signals. We demonstrate, mathematically and experimentally, that single, modular, colonies can perform simple digital logic, and that complex functions can be built by combining multiple colonies, removing the need for further genetic engineering. We extend our experimental system to incorporate sender colonies as morphogen sources, demonstrating how one might integrate different biochemical inputs. Our approach will open up ways to perform biological computation, with applications in bioengineering, biomaterials and biosensing. Ultimately, these computational bacterial communities will help us explore information processing in natural biological systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex J H Fedorec
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
| | - Neythen J Treloar
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Ke Yan Wen
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Linda Dekker
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Qing Hsuan Ong
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Gabija Jurkeviciute
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Enbo Lyu
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Jack W Rutter
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Kathleen J Y Zhang
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Luca Rosa
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Alexey Zaikin
- Department of Mathematics, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
- Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK
| | - Chris P Barnes
- Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, University College London, London, WC1E 6BT, UK.
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Gotovtsev P. Microbial Cells as a Microrobots: From Drug Delivery to Advanced Biosensors. Biomimetics (Basel) 2023; 8:biomimetics8010109. [PMID: 36975339 PMCID: PMC10046805 DOI: 10.3390/biomimetics8010109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Revised: 03/01/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
The presented review focused on the microbial cell based system. This approach is based on the application of microorganisms as the main part of a robot that is responsible for the motility, cargo shipping, and in some cases, the production of useful chemicals. Living cells in such microrobots have both advantages and disadvantages. Regarding the advantages, it is necessary to mention the motility of cells, which can be natural chemotaxis or phototaxis, depending on the organism. There are approaches to make cells magnetotactic by adding nanoparticles to their surface. Today, the results of the development of such microrobots have been widely discussed. It has been shown that there is a possibility of combining different types of taxis to enhance the control level of the microrobots based on the microorganisms' cells and the efficiency of the solving task. Another advantage is the possibility of applying the whole potential of synthetic biology to make the behavior of the cells more controllable and complex. Biosynthesis of the cargo, advanced sensing, on/off switches, and other promising approaches are discussed within the context of the application for the microrobots. Thus, a synthetic biology application offers significant perspectives on microbial cell based microrobot development. Disadvantages that follow from the nature of microbial cells such as the number of external factors influence the cells, potential immune reaction, etc. They provide several limitations in the application, but do not decrease the bright perspectives of microrobots based on the cells of the microorganisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pavel Gotovtsev
- National Research Center "Kurchatov Institute", Biotechnology and Bioenergy Department, Akademika Kurchatova pl. 1, 123182 Moscow, Russia
- Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, National Research University, 9 Institutskiy per., 141701 Moscow, Russia
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