Sunday, November 24, 2024

Living Organisms Living Machines (Part 2)

 

Biological Circuits (Continuation)

PS: For context please read (part 1)

These living circuits require small biomolecular interactions to take inputs, process them, and generate different outputs. Institutions and Universities are now using methods to edit and change the genetic information that runs and makes these molecular processes. For instance, a Swiss institution was able to build a biomolecular version of a CPU; “In 2019, a group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich built the biological equivalent of a computer’s central processing unit (CPU) from a modified version of the protein used in CRISPR gene editing”(Gent 38). The CPU was then inserted into a where it regulated the activity of different genes. Another institution such as “Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics in India took things a step further in 2021, coaxing a colony of Escherichia coli bacteria to compute the solutions to simple mazes. The circuitry was distributed between several strains of E. coli, each engineered to solve part of the problem. By sharing information, the colony successfully worked out how you could navigate multiple mazes.”(Gent 38).

These experiments and testing show that electronic communication and biomolecular communication are feasible in the right conditions. Although these bio-circuits are much slower than their electronic counterparts, “They could be used to create everything from tiny robots that treat disease inside the body to complex, multi-step biomanufacturing processes, he says. ‘You don’t have to beat computers to be useful. The real valuable stuff early on is just simple control over the biology,’ says Voigt.”(Gent 38).

Living AI???

This leaves me to my final point of discussion, is it possible to have these computing systems run on electronic circuity but also biomolecular circuits? I believe the use of our current technology is limited in its ability to process and multi-task, there is also the storage issue. As current AI and its processing and data storage take up so much space, even for CLOUD storage a lot of information and coding is stored. I believe if communication between the Genetic information of biological sources was able to store the AI (information), its potential and what AI does now can explode and become far greater than what it is now. However, there's a problem with AI surpassing human comprehension, like any experiment I believe there should be parameters (Rules/Guidelines) that hold the AI accountable.

Final thoughts

AI Should be used as a tool, not as a replacement; when it comes to jobs and research, I believe we are close to a new technological revolution with technology, and this is getting closer thanks to modern-day AI (dumb AI) and research. I believe it is only a matter of years before we get AI software that uses Biological tissues and or cells. I also think it would be cool if students, workers, and teachers/researchers could get their own personal AI that is in tune with the human the AI is assigned to, for example with a student; The AI can be assigned to grow and learn with the student throughout school, the AI can help the child learn and grow, as well assist them in long term goals such as achieving a certain job or position.

I believe this a beautiful Idea, and I hope that we can see something very similar if not this exact thing happen with students.


 

Citations and Referneces:

Gent, E. (2023). Computing comes to life. New Scientist, 258(3442), 36–39. https://doi-org.dml.regis.edu/10.1016/s0262-4079(23)01054-0

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