Scientists Create Programmable Bacteria 117
wilmavanwyk writes "In research that further bridges the biological and digital world, scientists at the University of California, San Francisco have created bacteria that can be programmed like a computer. Researchers built 'logic gates' – the building blocks of a circuit – out of genes and put them into E. coli bacteria strains. The logic gates mimic digital processing and form the basis of computational communication between cells, according to synthetic biologist Christopher A. Voigt."
Yes but... (Score:2, Funny)
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of these
1. Create Bacteria
2. program it
3. ????
4. Profit!
In Soviet Russia Bacteria programs YOU!
Think that covers everything.
That leads to a joke (Score:5, Funny)
What do the University of California E-coli research team and Microsoft have in common?
They are both full of shit programmers
Killer app (Score:5, Funny)
Finally we're gonna see a decent implementation of Conway's Game of Life!
Re:Can't resist urge to make bad pun.., (Score:5, Funny)
"Today marks a milestone for the computer science and pharmaceutical industries. Partnering with one of the software industry giants, Roche Pharmaceuticals today unveiled the future of fighting rapidly mutating semi-lifeforms. Thanks to Norton Antivirus, no human body will ever be unprotected again!"
Please note that losing the ability to run or perform other activities quickly is a known and acceptable side-effect.
Trek becomes Reality (Score:5, Funny)
In the TNG episode "The Chase", it's discovered that aliens seeded the oceans of various planets with life and placed part of a computer program into the DNA distributed on each planet. When the various races (humans, vulvans, cardassians, etc) put the code together a billion years later they find an ancient race has left us a holographic message of goodwill and peace.
We Must do this! Except we change the message to play "Never gonna give you up", Rick Astley built right into the DNA of all living beings forevermore. Just waiting to be found in a billion years. Most epic troll ever.
Re:Yes but... (Score:5, Funny)
Does it run Linux?
Yes, but as a side effect it causes open sores.