Bacterial computers can crack mathematical problems | Science | guardian.co.uk
Very cool research in the journal of bioengineering (http://www.jbioleng.org/content/3/1/11/abstract), using bacteria to solve the Hamiltonian Path problem (finding the shortest route to travel between several different cities). Computers have to compare each possible path to find out the shortest. Bacteria solved a simplified version involving just 3 cities, in a way simultaneously trying out every possible path.
The researchers used combinations of genes to represent the 3 cities. They engineered the bacteria to glow red or green for the different gene combinations, and then allowing the DNA to be randomly shuffled until some of the bacteria glowed both red AND green. These bacteria, which were now yellow, were those in which the genes had assorted until they represented the solution to the problem. The researchers were then able to look at the DNA sequence in the yellow bacteria to find the solution.
A nice use of genetics and bio-engineering to solve a problem Very efficient since the bacteria are in such large numbers that randomly shuffling the DNA gives rise to the solution in at least some of them. It definitely shows the potential of using living systems for complex computing. In theory, they could be far more powerful for some problems than any existing computer, though of course there’s a long way to go before we get that far.