Bacterial computers can crack mathematical problems | Science | guardian.co.uk

Description

Bacteria make computers look like pocket calculators

Biologists have created a living computer from E. coli bacteria that can solve complex mathematical problems

Computers are evolving – literally. While the tech world argues netbooks vs notebooks, synthetic biologists are leaving traditional computers behind altogether. A team of US scientists have engineered bacteria that could solve complex mathematical problems faster than anything made from silicon.

The research, published today in the Journal of Biological Engineering , proves that bacteria can be used to solve a puzzle known as the Hamiltonian Path Problem . Imagine you want to tour the 10 biggest cities in the UK – one route might start in London (number 1) and finish in Bristol (number 10), for example. The solution to the Hamiltonian Path Problem would be the route that takes in each city just once.

This simple problem is surprisingly difficult to solve. There are over 3.5 million possible routes to choose from, and a regular computer must try them out ...

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http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2009/jul/24/bacteria-computer

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/blog/2009/jul/24/bacteria-computer