The Hidden Future of Biological Computing
A Technology Futures take on turning cells into computers
Today, I am analyzing the Technology Future related to artificial photosynthesis and the use of protein crystals in bacteria. A new study came out which caught my eye. The work caught my eye not because of what results were achieved but because of the potential of the technique exemplified in obtaining those results. The process in other words, not the outcomes.
For transparency, this study is the 9th signal to appear in the artificial photosynthesis space in the last couple of months. I view this trend as strong and positive. Furthermore, I have a broad grasp of the larger field of biological computing and therefore can imagine a number of possible future implications of the trend.
I invite you to follow along with your own analysis by the way. I’ll be using the backcasting methodology I outlined in a previous story.
The Objective
I’m going to state the future objective is to achieve in-cell engineering to produce cells capable of analog computations. Given that, perhaps a future newspaper headline reads, “Breakthrough Achieved: Cells Engineered to Perform Analog Computations — A New Era of Biological Computing Begins.”
Neat, right?
