Bacteria-Powered Transistors Create Slow-Mood Living Circuits

MIT scientists wired three strains of Pantoea agglomerans to act as transistors, forming “living circuit boards” that pass signals via output molecules. The setup can run multiple logic operations, with the largest circuit containing 24 colonies, but each calculation takes about eight hours and the whole system operates for roughly three days due to slow molecular diffusion and growth. Potential uses include monitoring plant roots for stress or pests, illustrating how simple cellular functions can be linked into larger biological circuits—even if not yet a replacement for traditional computers.