Slashdot Mirror
Microbe Processors
gpmap writes "Smart microbes are closer to reality than you might think, as described in an interesting article on Boston Globe Online. Ron Weiss, a Princeton biochemist, has already programmed E. Coli bacteria cells that release a fluorescent protein when they're exposed to certain chemicals. Now that a team at Stanford University has found a computer-based way to make cells react to any known chemical, the idea of weapons-detecting microbes looks even more promising. That is just one of the more modest applications of a remarkable new engineering discipline -- the science of programming cells. Imagine thousands of preprogrammed cells coursing through your bloodstream, checking cholesterol levels and patrolling for cancer. Or an army of bacteria powerful enough to suck the unwanted contaminant out of a whole lake, but smart enough to turn themselves off when no longer needed."
Microbe users guide:
Chapter II (detection):
If your urine is:
Blue: stop eating meat.
Green: time for your insulin shot.
Red: seek medical attention immediately!
You have to remember two general differences between machines and organics: organics like to reproduce and organics benefit from an imperfect replication system. When you have a lifeform that can create millions of copies of itself within hours, even a 0.001% error rate makes for dozens of imperfect but potentially viable copies.
True, it is likely that they would evolve to do things their creators' didn't expect.
However, they would also be built using the same biological framework as all the life on this planet. The possibilities for negative reactions to existing biologic matter on this planet is staggering.
Perhaps we should stick to totally separate engineered constructs rather than DNA-based ones.
That, and Microsoft should be absolutely banned from tinkering in this area.
Fred Smart-Microbe: (whispers) I told them we'll turn ourselves off when we're finished doing this!
Jim Smart-Microbe: Heh heh!