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MIT development of bacterial biological transistors

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2026-08-23 09:21 UTC → 2026-09-09 03:25 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Researchers at MIT have engineered biological transistors using the bacterium Pantoea agglomerans. This system allows living cells to perform logic operations, such as OR and implication functions, by processing chemical signals rather than electrical currents. To address scaling limitations where complex instructions might exhaust a single cell’s protein production, the researchers developed a method to distribute computational functions across multiple bacterial colonies. By utilizing additional bacterial strains to act as relays, the team can connect these colonies into larger, functional networks. Detailed in Nature Chemical Biology, the study describes the creation of “living circuit boards” where the physical arrangement of colonies on agar determines the circuit's function. This allows for different calculations, including arithmetic, without altering the genetic code. The system utilizes two types of bacterial transistors and three relay strains to regulate the movement of signaling molecules. This technology holds potential for enabling plants to autonomously detect and respond to environmental stressors like drought, disease, or ~~pests.~~ pests by placing these living circuits on plant leaves or roots.

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