New Cell-To-Cell Communication Process Could Revolutionize Bioengineering

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New Cell-To-Cell Communication Process Could Revolutionize Bioengineering

Posted by samzenpus on Monday October 1, 2012 @05:49AM from the we-can-make-him-better dept.

Zothecula writes "The internet has revolutionized global communications and now researchers at Stanford University are looking to provide a similar boost to bioengineering with a new process dubbed "Bi-Fi." The technology uses an innocuous virus called M13 to increase the complexity and amount of information that can be sent from cell to cell. The researchers say the Bi-Fi could help bio-engineers create complex, multicellular communities that work together to carry out important biological functions."

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Sounds Risky by clam666 · 2012-10-01 05:51 · Score: 1

Am I the only one who sees this in the first 3 minutes of a movie, followed by a scene with a caption "6 months later...".

--
I'm a satanic clam.
1. Re:Sounds Risky by A10Mechanic · 2012-10-01 05:59 · Score: 1
  
  Yes. I can also hear Blue Oyster Cult playing "don't fear the reaper" in my head. M-O-O-N, that spells bad idea, laws yes
BT by Russ1642 · 2012-10-01 05:54 · Score: 1

Hope it works better than Bluetooth.
1. Re:BT by dunng808 · 2012-10-01 07:09 · Score: 1
  
  Better than SMS? Or will it suffer from the same gender/age bias?
  
  --
  Gary Dunn
  Open Slate Project
What could possibly go wrong? by gestalt_n_pepper · 2012-10-01 05:55 · Score: 4, Funny

Except perhaps, a population of schizoid zombies, giant mutant blue babies, or and army of 4-armed, forewarned lawyers.

--
Please do not read this sig. Thank you.
1. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by clam666 · 2012-10-01 05:57 · Score: 3
  
  There is no outcome to this that doesn't end up with all of us dead, or praying for depth. Wasn't this the same idea behind the movie "Mimic"? Bioengineering things without any thought to what would happen in the end?
  
  --
  I'm a satanic clam.
2. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by K.+S.+Kyosuke · 2012-10-01 07:28 · Score: 1
  
  Except perhaps, a population of schizoid zombies, giant mutant blue babies, or and army of 4-armed, forewarned lawyers.
  I was brave until I saw the last word! Now I'm really scared! How come the zombies haven't already run away as far from the lawyers as they can?
  
  --
  Ezekiel 23:20
3. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by Khyber · 2012-10-01 07:52 · Score: 1
  
  You must be into necrophilia with a response like that.
  
  --
  Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
4. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by fahrbot-bot · 2012-10-01 09:13 · Score: 4, Funny
  
  There is no outcome to this that doesn't end up with all of us dead, or praying for depth.
  This is /. -- I pray for depth every day...
  
  --
  It must have been something you assimilated. . . .
5. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by EdIII · 2012-10-01 10:04 · Score: 1
  
  LMFAO. You're a riot.
  Ground Control - Bob? Bob you there?
  Bob - Bob here. What's going on ground control. We got all kinds of alarms going off up here.
  Ground Control - We got confirmation from the sensors that g237 escaped containment and you might be infected. You're on lock down right now and I've ordered a flight plan to break orbit around Deimos and head for the Sun. SOP, you understand.
  Bob - Wait, what?
  Ground Control - SOP. Standard Operating Procedure, Bob. Keep up.
  Bob - I know what the fuck it means. Why are you sending us into the SUN!
  Ground Control - g237 is quite nasty. Wait... stand by... new development Bob. The suits are really concerned about this.
  Bob - I should think so. Thank god.
  Ground Control - Yes.. Yes.. Okay, they've told me to accelerate the flight plan and get you to the sun faster.
  Bob - FML
  Ground Control - Good news though Bob. If you can get containment under control and go through a 14 day quarantine period in the escape pods, i'm told we can authorize release and you can make it back to the quarantine facility on Phobos.
  Bob - Oh god... thank you.... how much time do we have.
  Ground Control - Oooohhhh. The flight plan only gives you 12 days though..... tough break Bob.
6. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by SoftwareArtist · 2012-10-01 11:52 · Score: 2
  
  Just consider the frightening implications of this:
  ...Every cell in your body will now need its own IP address. We haven't even completed the transition to IPv6, and its address space is already at risk of being depleted!
  ...They've designed a new internet, and built viruses into the very lowest level of infrastructure! And you think malware is a problem today?
  This sounds like a disaster in the making.
  
  --
  "I'm too busy to research this and form an educated opinion, but I do have time to tell everyone my uninformed opinion."
7. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by rickb928 · 2012-10-01 15:28 · Score: 1
  
  Actually, I would expect the corporate/educational sponsors to figure out how to get them turned around and put into high orbit while they figure out how to get the wayward samples to Earth for explotation.
  Think 'Alien'. If there's a Ripley on board, we may survive.
  
  --
  deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
8. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by FirephoxRising · 2012-10-01 17:41 · Score: 1
  
  Mod parent funny!
9. Re:What could possibly go wrong? by Jade_Wayfarer · 2012-10-01 18:31 · Score: 1
  
  Oblig xkcd
  
  --
  Absence of proof != proof of absence.
carry out important biological functions by Anonymous Coward · 2012-10-01 05:55 · Score: 1

Sounds dangerous.
Oh Great by jmcwork · 2012-10-01 05:56 · Score: 2

Now we are going to have spam at the cellular level
I'm Not Surprised by GODISNOWHERE · 2012-10-01 06:10 · Score: 1, Flamebait

With a name like "Bi-Fi", and an article summary that includes the phrase "Bi-Fi could help bio-engineers create complex, multicellular communities that work together to carry out important biological functions", I knew immediately that this technology was created in California.
Beware.. by Budgreen · 2012-10-01 06:11 · Score: 1

The russian versions are malware, and will reprogram your dna to send them your banking info.

--
The greatest right given is the right to be wrong...
Not a fan of Standford by bipbop · 2012-10-01 06:14 · Score: 3, Funny

Honestly, I'll wait until I hear something about research from Stanford. Standford isn't nearly as reputable, IMO.
1. Re:Not a fan of Standford by StripedCow · 2012-10-01 06:51 · Score: 1
  
  Obviously, you have your Bi-Fi tuned to the wrong channel.
  
  --
  If Pandora's box is destined to be opened, *I* want to be the one to open it.
Will they have that great taste? by h4rr4r · 2012-10-01 06:19 · Score: 1

How does this work in the metal foil wrapper?
Are they made from beef or pork?
Sounds safe! by mahoney.d.82 · 2012-10-01 06:20 · Score: 1

Zombie apocalypse in 3... 2... 1...
And the Innovation is...? by GravidMind · 2012-10-01 06:33 · Score: 1

Sounds... like the same things we've been doing with designer viruses for decades. Unless they've got additional material they've developed to facilitate direct transmission of DNA from one cell to another or mastered a process whereby continual production can be done without threat to the host or in a manner that can be easily extinguished I don't see what it is that they've added other than a term "Bi-Fi" (which is a cute term, I admit). Not knocking on the idea, it's just not clear what's new about it.
1. Re:And the Innovation is...? by Turbio · 2012-10-01 09:59 · Score: 1
  
  Yeah... it's a method from the last century. It's called transduction (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transduction_%28genetics%29), and it is routinely used at the microbiology lab. The new approach here is the idea of using it for communication. But communication needs to be both ways, and they implemented just one way. For making cells react to certain stimulus, it's way better to bioengineer them adding the corresponding membrane receptor and required pathway. And the problem with using phages in this case is, how do you stop them!? They will make the cells very inefficient.
What could possibly go wrong? by rickb928 · 2012-10-01 06:38 · Score: 1

So this is a good reason to commit to a manned mission to Mars, and permanent habitation on the Moon.
Bear with me. I am not advocating doing this on either celestial body.
First, a manned mission to Mars will teach us a lot about long-term operations in space, and this will come in handy.
Second, permanent presence on the Moon will teach us more about long-term operations, handy in this scenario:
- From the Moon, build a flying lab. In this lab, we can do long-term research into such genetics and biology.
- If something bad happens, we will let the lab complete its flight into the Sun. While it's flying to oblivion, we can further study the problem.
- When it reaches the Sun, our best available incinerator kills all. Hopefully we isolated the attendants, so they don't have to be sent to oblivion also.
None of this needs to touch Earth, or Mars, or really the Moon. For all I know, low to zero gravity is a benefit, but generating gravity is fairly simple, I think. Keeping the nasties from repopulating the Earth against our wishes, less so.I'll fix the gravity problem rather than the containment problem.
And I suspect there may be issues with containment in space also, so we have that to consider, but where do you want to fight that fight? On Long Island, or between Venus and the Sun?
SO, are such experiments worth a trillon or so, to start?

--
deleting the extra space after periods so i can stay relevant, yeah.
Well I for one... by Zenin · 2012-10-01 07:02 · Score: 1

Welcome our new viral overlords!

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My /. uid is better then your /. uid
I forsee a trademark process by maxwell+demon · 2012-10-01 09:19 · Score: 1

I foresee a trademark process, unless their method involves a mini-salami. :-)

--
The Tao of math: The numbers you can count are not the real numbers.
Blood Music by Brannoncyll · 2012-10-01 15:39 · Score: 1

This sounds exactly like the technique used by renegade biochemist Vergil Ulam in Greg Bear's Blood Music. The Wikipedia article does not mention the fact that the protagonist's bio-engineered creations used tame viruses to communicate. It's always funny how science fiction becomes science fact; I just hope we do not make the same mistakes.