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Scientists build logic gates out of gut bacteria, then hopefully wash their hands

admin — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 05:42:00 +0000

Ever thought about upgrading your PC by breeding more cores? Or planting a few GBs of extra storage out in the yard? Us neither, until we heard that scientists at Imperial College in London have succeeded in building "some of the basic components of digital devices" out of genetically modified E.Coli. We've seen these germs exploited in a similar way before, but Imperial's researchers claim they're the first to make bacterial logic gates that can be fitted together to form more complex gates and potentially whole biological processors. Aside from our strange upgrade fantasies, such processors could one day be implanted into living bodies -- to weed out cancer cells, clean arteries and deliver medication exactly where it's needed. So much for Activia.

Scientists build logic gates out of gut bacteria, then hopefully wash their hands originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 24 Oct 2011 01:42:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Carnegie Mellon researchers develop world’s smallest biological fuel cell

admin — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 19:48:00 +0000

Cars and other vehicles may be the first thing that springs to mind at the mention of fuel cells, but the technology can of course also be used for plenty of other devices big and small, and a team of researchers at Carnegie Mellon University are now looking to take them to a few new places that haven't been possible so far. To that end, they've developed what they claim is the world's smallest biological fuel cell, which is the size of a single human hair and "generates energy from the metabolism of bacteria on thin gold plates in micro-manufactured channels." That, they say, could make it ideal for use in places like deep ocean environments where batteries are impractical -- or possibly in electronic devices with some further refinements, where they could potentially store more energy than traditional batteries in the same space. The university's full press release is after the break.

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Carnegie Mellon researchers develop world's smallest biological fuel cell originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 21 Jun 2011 15:48:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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DNA computer solves logical problems, inches closer to practical use

admin — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 17:06:00 +0000

The world of biomolecular computing is hardly a lonely place: bacteria, enzymes, and all manner of chemicals have already been used to perform basic automated tasks. DNA computers are arguably the most advanced organic form of "autonomous programmable computing devices," with one already boasting a pretty tight game of Tic-Tac-Toe. The latest, put together by the Israeli Weizmann Institute, advances things with its ability to correctly respond to problems of logic. By feeding molecular rules and facts into the system, the researchers are able to program DNA strands to produce yes and no answers to basic questions. Programming is said to be technically identical to that used in electronic devices, with a robot compiler converting the programming language into molecular-level information. The ultimate aim of the project is to produce miniscule disease-fighting bots that can battle infections within the human body -- provided the DNA-programming drones don't go all Yul Brynner on us.

[Thanks, Karl]

Filed under: Science

DNA computer solves logical problems, inches closer to practical use originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 10 Aug 2009 12:06:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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