IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/natcom/v15y2024i1d10.1038_s41467-024-49264-3.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Emergent digital bio-computation through spatial diffusion and engineered bacteria

Author

Listed:
  • Alex J. H. Fedorec

    (University College London)

  • Neythen J. Treloar

    (University College London)

  • Ke Yan Wen

    (University College London)

  • Linda Dekker

    (University College London)

  • Qing Hsuan Ong

    (University College London)

  • Gabija Jurkeviciute

    (University College London)

  • Enbo Lyu

    (University College London)

  • Jack W. Rutter

    (University College London)

  • Kathleen J. Y. Zhang

    (University College London)

  • Luca Rosa

    (University College London)

  • Alexey Zaikin

    (University College London
    University College London)

  • Chris P. Barnes

    (University College London)

Abstract

Biological computing is a promising field with potential applications in biosafety, environmental monitoring, and personalized medicine. Here we present work on the design of bacterial computers using spatial patterning to process information in the form of diffusible morphogen-like signals. We demonstrate, mathematically and experimentally, that single, modular, colonies can perform simple digital logic, and that complex functions can be built by combining multiple colonies, removing the need for further genetic engineering. We extend our experimental system to incorporate sender colonies as morphogen sources, demonstrating how one might integrate different biochemical inputs. Our approach will open up ways to perform biological computation, with applications in bioengineering, biomaterials and biosensing. Ultimately, these computational bacterial communities will help us explore information processing in natural biological systems.

Suggested Citation

  • Alex J. H. Fedorec & Neythen J. Treloar & Ke Yan Wen & Linda Dekker & Qing Hsuan Ong & Gabija Jurkeviciute & Enbo Lyu & Jack W. Rutter & Kathleen J. Y. Zhang & Luca Rosa & Alexey Zaikin & Chris P. Bar, 2024. "Emergent digital bio-computation through spatial diffusion and engineered bacteria," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49264-3
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49264-3
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49264-3
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/s41467-024-49264-3?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Joaquin Caro-Astorga & Kenneth T. Walker & Natalia Herrera & Koon-Yang Lee & Tom Ellis, 2021. "Bacterial cellulose spheroids as building blocks for 3D and patterned living materials and for regeneration," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
    2. Ximing Li & Luna Rizik & Valeriia Kravchik & Maria Khoury & Netanel Korin & Ramez Daniel, 2021. "Synthetic neural-like computing in microbial consortia for pattern recognition," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-12, December.
    3. Yeqing Zong & Haoqian M. Zhang & Cheng Lyu & Xiangyu Ji & Junran Hou & Xian Guo & Qi Ouyang & Chunbo Lou, 2017. "Insulated transcriptional elements enable precise design of genetic circuits," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-13, December.
    4. Javier Macia & Ricard Sole, 2014. "How to Make a Synthetic Multicellular Computer," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 9(2), pages 1-13, February.
    5. Lewis Grozinger & Martyn Amos & Thomas E. Gorochowski & Pablo Carbonell & Diego A. Oyarzún & Ruud Stoof & Harold Fellermann & Paolo Zuliani & Huseyin Tas & Angel Goñi-Moreno, 2019. "Pathways to cellular supremacy in biocomputing," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-11, December.
    6. Michael B. Elowitz & Stanislas Leibler, 2000. "A synthetic oscillatory network of transcriptional regulators," Nature, Nature, vol. 403(6767), pages 335-338, January.
    7. Alvin Tamsir & Jeffrey J. Tabor & Christopher A. Voigt, 2011. "Robust multicellular computing using genetically encoded NOR gates and chemical ‘wires’," Nature, Nature, vol. 469(7329), pages 212-215, January.
    8. Javier Macia & Romilde Manzoni & Núria Conde & Arturo Urrios & Eulàlia de Nadal & Ricard Solé & Francesc Posas, 2016. "Implementation of Complex Biological Logic Circuits Using Spatially Distributed Multicellular Consortia," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-24, February.
    9. Timothy S. Gardner & Charles R. Cantor & James J. Collins, 2000. "Construction of a genetic toggle switch in Escherichia coli," Nature, Nature, vol. 403(6767), pages 339-342, January.
    10. Luna Rizik & Loai Danial & Mouna Habib & Ron Weiss & Ramez Daniel, 2022. "Synthetic neuromorphic computing in living cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    11. Attila Becskei & Luis Serrano, 2000. "Engineering stability in gene networks by autoregulation," Nature, Nature, vol. 405(6786), pages 590-593, June.
    12. Peter Rugbjerg & Nils Myling-Petersen & Andreas Porse & Kira Sarup-Lytzen & Morten O. A. Sommer, 2018. "Diverse genetic error modes constrain large-scale bio-based production," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 9(1), pages 1-14, December.
    13. Sergi Regot & Javier Macia & Núria Conde & Kentaro Furukawa & Jimmy Kjellén & Tom Peeters & Stefan Hohmann & Eulàlia de Nadal & Francesc Posas & Ricard Solé, 2011. "Distributed biological computation with multicellular engineered networks," Nature, Nature, vol. 469(7329), pages 207-211, January.
    14. Sarah Guiziou & Pauline Mayonove & Jerome Bonnet, 2019. "Hierarchical composition of reliable recombinase logic devices," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 10(1), pages 1-7, December.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Yuanli Gao & Lei Wang & Baojun Wang, 2023. "Customizing cellular signal processing by synthetic multi-level regulatory circuits," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-14, December.
    2. Weiyue Ji & Handuo Shi & Haoqian Zhang & Rui Sun & Jingyi Xi & Dingqiao Wen & Jingchen Feng & Yiwei Chen & Xiao Qin & Yanrong Ma & Wenhan Luo & Linna Deng & Hanchi Lin & Ruofan Yu & Qi Ouyang, 2013. "A Formalized Design Process for Bacterial Consortia That Perform Logic Computing," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(2), pages 1-9, February.
    3. Javier Macia & Romilde Manzoni & Núria Conde & Arturo Urrios & Eulàlia de Nadal & Ricard Solé & Francesc Posas, 2016. "Implementation of Complex Biological Logic Circuits Using Spatially Distributed Multicellular Consortia," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 12(2), pages 1-24, February.
    4. Luna Rizik & Loai Danial & Mouna Habib & Ron Weiss & Ramez Daniel, 2022. "Synthetic neuromorphic computing in living cells," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-17, December.
    5. Avraham E Mayo & Yaakov Setty & Seagull Shavit & Alon Zaslaver & Uri Alon, 2006. "Plasticity of the cis-Regulatory Input Function of a Gene," PLOS Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 4(4), pages 1-1, March.
    6. Chen Jia & Ramon Grima, 2024. "Holimap: an accurate and efficient method for solving stochastic gene network dynamics," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    7. Simeon D. Castle & Michiel Stock & Thomas E. Gorochowski, 2024. "Engineering is evolution: a perspective on design processes to engineer biology," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    8. Tai-Yin Chiu & Hui-Ju K Chiang & Ruei-Yang Huang & Jie-Hong R Jiang & François Fages, 2015. "Synthesizing Configurable Biochemical Implementation of Linear Systems from Their Transfer Function Specifications," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(9), pages 1-27, September.
    9. Tobias May & Lee Eccleston & Sabrina Herrmann & Hansjörg Hauser & Jorge Goncalves & Dagmar Wirth, 2008. "Bimodal and Hysteretic Expression in Mammalian Cells from a Synthetic Gene Circuit," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(6), pages 1-7, June.
    10. Singh, Vijai & Chaudhary, Dharmendra Kumar & Mani, Indra & Dhar, Pawan Kumar, 2016. "Recent advances and challenges of the use of cyanobacteria towards the production of biofuels," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 60(C), pages 1-10.
    11. Joaquín Gutiérrez Mena & Sant Kumar & Mustafa Khammash, 2022. "Dynamic cybergenetic control of bacterial co-culture composition via optogenetic feedback," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-16, December.
    12. Samanthe M Lyons & Wenlong Xu & June Medford & Ashok Prasad, 2014. "Loads Bias Genetic and Signaling Switches in Synthetic and Natural Systems," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 10(3), pages 1-16, March.
    13. Zhou, Peipei & Cai, Shuiming & Liu, Zengrong & Chen, Luonan & Wang, Ruiqi, 2013. "Coupling switches and oscillators as a means to shape cellular signals in biomolecular systems," Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 115-126.
    14. Duncan Ingram & Guy-Bart Stan, 2023. "Modelling genetic stability in engineered cell populations," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-12, December.
    15. Stefano Ciliberti & Olivier C Martin & Andreas Wagner, 2007. "Robustness Can Evolve Gradually in Complex Regulatory Gene Networks with Varying Topology," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 3(2), pages 1-10, February.
    16. T. Ochiai & J. C. Nacher, 2007. "Stochastic analysis of autoregulatory gene expression dynamics," Mathematical and Computer Modelling of Dynamical Systems, Taylor & Francis Journals, vol. 14(4), pages 377-388, November.
    17. Thomas B. Kepler & Timothy C. Elston, 2001. "Stochasticity in Transcriptional Regulation: Origins, Consequences and Mathematical Representations," Working Papers 01-06-033, Santa Fe Institute.
    18. Luis Mier-y-Terán-Romero & Mary Silber & Vassily Hatzimanikatis, 2010. "The Origins of Time-Delay in Template Biopolymerization Processes," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(4), pages 1-15, April.
    19. Ashty S. Karim & Dylan M. Brown & Chloé M. Archuleta & Sharisse Grannan & Ludmilla Aristilde & Yogesh Goyal & Josh N. Leonard & Niall M. Mangan & Arthur Prindle & Gabriel J. Rocklin & Keith J. Tyo & L, 2024. "Deconstructing synthetic biology across scales: a conceptual approach for training synthetic biologists," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-14, December.
    20. Liu, Xian & Wang, Jinzhi & Huang, Lin, 2007. "Global synchronization for a class of dynamical complex networks," Physica A: Statistical Mechanics and its Applications, Elsevier, vol. 386(1), pages 543-556.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:15:y:2024:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-024-49264-3. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.