Problem-Solving Bacteria Crack Sudoku 86
techbeat writes "A strain of Escherichia coli bacteria can now solve logic puzzles – with some help from a group of students at the University of Tokyo, Japan, reports New Scientist. The team began with 16 types of E. coli, each colony assigned a distinct genetic identity depending on which square it occupied within a four-by-four sudoku grid.The bacteria can also express one of four colors to represent the numerical value of their square. As with any sudoku puzzle, a small number of the grid squares are given a value from the beginning by encouraging the bacteria in these squares to differentiate and take on one of the four colors. The Tokyo team's sudoku-solving bacteria competed in the International Genetically Engineered Machine competition at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology last week."
I for one... (Score:1, Insightful)
I, for one, welcome our sudoku-solving underlords.
What's so special? (Score:1, Insightful)
Four by four? (Score:2, Insightful)
Re:Why E.coli? (Score:3, Insightful)
but out of all bacteria that could use used why use one associated with human disease?
How many bacteria can you think of that are not associated with some human disease? Even the yeast that we use to make beer (and bread) can be a disease agent under the right (or wrong) circumstances.
That said, for each bacterium you can name that is associated with disease, the same has numerous strains that don't harm humans. The E Coli used in the lab is not the same strain that is found in cattle feces.
Re:Four by four? (Score:3, Insightful)
More like Pseudoku.