{"id":4084,"date":"2015-08-01T03:38:00","date_gmt":"2015-08-01T03:38:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/198.74.50.173\/2015\/08\/scientist-develops-model-for-robots.html"},"modified":"2017-04-07T03:32:27","modified_gmt":"2017-04-07T03:32:27","slug":"scientist-develops-model-for-robots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextbigfuture.com\/2015\/08\/scientist-develops-model-for-robots.html","title":{"rendered":"Scientist develops model for robots with bacterial brains"},"content":{"rendered":"
A Virginia Tech scientist used a mathematical model to demonstrate that bacteria can control the behavior of an inanimate device like a robot.<\/a><\/p>\n
\u201cBasically we were trying to find out from the mathematical model if we could build a living microbiome on a nonliving host and control the host through the microbiome,\u201d said Warren Ruder, an assistant professor of biological systems engineering in both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Engineering. <\/p>\n
“We found that robots may indeed be able to function with a bacterial brain,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
For future experiments, Ruder is building real-world robots that will have the ability to read bacterial gene expression levels in E. coli using miniature fluorescent microscopes. The robots will respond to bacteria he will engineer in his lab.<\/p>\n
On a broad scale, understanding the biochemical sensing between organisms could have far reaching implications in ecology, biology, and robotics.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n
<\/p>\n
<\/a><\/div>\n\nLiving Cells Interfaced with a Biomimetic Robot as a Model System for Host-Microbiome Interactions. (A) A synthetic gene network \u2013 also known as an engineered gene circuit. Uploading a gene circuit into living bacteria endows cells with a programmable biomolecular network. (B) Engineered bacteria and their circuits can be introduced into an organism\u2019s microbiome. The networks of the host and microbiome combine to form a complete gene network. In the absence of the complete host-microbiome network, host behavior is erratic. A programmed microbiome drives new, and potentially rational, host behavior. (C) A robot with a microfluidic chemostat mimics the microbiome\u2019s environment within an organism. The robot is conceptualized to include a miniature fluorescent microscope, along with the pumps necessary to deliver inducers to the onboard microfluidic chemostat. This microscope allows for modulations in the reporter protein levels to be interpreted by the robot electronically. In the absence of a living microbiome, robotic host behavior can be erratic. A programmed, living microbiome drives new host robotic behavior.<\/i><\/p>\n