Research Projects NTT-MIT Research Collaboration: a partnership in the future of communication and computation

Digital Control and Communication in Living Cells

MIT9904-10

Start date: 07/99

 Tom Knight and Gerry Sussman
MIT AI Lab

Hitoshi Hemmi
NTT

Project summary

Digital logic and communications can be embedded into living cells, allowing engineered and programmed chemical sensing and control.

Project description

 

Existing electronic technology is awkward and inefficient in interfacing to the chemical world. For many applications including health, environmental sensing and control, and nanoscale fabrication, we need access to much better chemical interfacing. One approach to this goal is the use of biological systems as a control mechanism.

In this research, we are designing, building, and testing digital logic and communications circuits in living cells. By judicious construction of circular DNA plasmids, inserted into E. coli bacteria, we add controlled protein fabrication instructions directing the construction of sensors, gates, and effectors.

Demos, movies and other examples

The principal investigators

Presentations and posters

Publications

Proposals and progress reports

Proposals:

NTT Bi-Annual Progress Report, July to December 1999:

NTT Bi-Annual Progress Report, January to June 2000:

NTT Bi-Annual Progress Report, January to June 2001:

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