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Computer-Controlled Cyborg Yeast

Posted by samzenpus on from the all-your-bread-are-belong-to-us dept.

MrSeb writes "With a slightly weird world first, scientists have formed a feedback loop between common, baking and brewing yeast, and a computer. The computer can trigger the yeast to produce a protein, and the yeast then feeds back to the computer how much of the protein is being produced — the computer has exact control over the yeast's production. This work, performed by scientists at the Automatic Control Laboratory at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich, is exceptional because of its simplicity: The computer turns the yeast on by flashing a red light, and it turns the yeast off by flashing a deeper red light. Connected to the yeast is a 'reporter' molecule that fluoresces when the protein is produced. The computer can see this fluorescence and alter the light it emits, thus creating a full feedback loop. The simplicity is significant because of the role of yeasts and bacteria in the production of antibiotics, biofuels, and more. The problem is controlling those organisms — so far, scientists have tried to genetically add synthetic control circuits, with limited success... and now the Swiss have shown that it can be done by simply shining a couple of lights."

8 of 61 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Awesome! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Asshole! DON'T CLICK!

  2. As a synthetic microbiologist by acidfast7 · · Score: 2

    there is nothing cyborg about this. and, i hope that the original scientists did not sell the work this way.

    1. Re:As a synthetic microbiologist by Rosco+P.+Coltrane · · Score: 3, Funny

      Actually, the best way to sell it is to call it iYeast and say it's a cloud-based service.

      --
      "A door is what a dog is perpetually on the wrong side of" - Ogden Nash
  3. Unemployment Up - Computer-Yeast Cyborgs Blamed by UnresolvedExternal · · Score: 2
    FTA:

    More awe-inspiringly, though — or perhaps more worryingly, if you’re a pessimist — the computer-yeast process is completely automated.

    That computer-yeast is takin urrr jaaaaauuuubbbssss!

  4. As a wacko alarmist nutjob, I say . . . by PolygamousRanchKid+ · · Score: 3, Funny

    there is nothing cyborg about this.

    . . . yet . . .

    "Oh, my God! The vat of yeast has formed into a giant yeast-hand, which is fiddling with the flashing red light control!"

    Beware of the coming yeast infection . . .

    --
    Schroedinger's Brexit: The UK is both in and out of the EU at the same time!
  5. Re:Yeast Infection by stevegee58 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Roxanne, you don't have to turn on the red light.
    And definitely NOT the deeper red light.

  6. As an AI researcher... by Okian+Warrior · · Score: 5, Informative

    Cyborg is short for "cybernetic organism".

    Cybernetics is the communication/interface (and control systems) between living things and machines.

    So... this really is a cybernetic organism.

  7. Imagine the applications... by Arcaeris · · Score: 2

    Imagine if such proteins could be embedded into human cells. It would be amazing if you could implant cells that would release chemicals to fight cancer, or fight disease. Development of this technology could be the first step to engineering our bodies better than nature has done for us, say by releasing antibiotics automatically when light is shined on certain cells.

    Also, imagine if you could embed cells or proteins that give you an orgasm when a red light is flashed on you. It would give a whole new meaning to "red light district."