Bacterial Nanomachines Exhibit Brain-Like Learning and Memory

4 hours ago7 min read2 comments

Scientists at the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) have made a revolutionary discovery that bridges biological systems and computational design. By decoding the unpredictable behavior of biological nanopores—the molecular channels vital to cellular function and biotechnology—researchers have demonstrated that these microscopic structures can be engineered to perform brain-like learning.The breakthrough centers on the bacterial aerolysin pore, where two seemingly erratic behaviors, rectification (controlling ion flow direction) and gating (an on/off switching mechanism), are precisely regulated by internal electrical charges and their interactions with passing ions. This fundamental understanding enabled the team to construct synthetic nanopores capable of adaptive learning.A single protein pore can now modify its ionic conductance based on historical activity, mirroring the synaptic plasticity that underlies memory formation in the human brain. This advancement heralds a new paradigm in bio-inspired computing, suggesting a future beyond silicon chips toward ion-based neural networks and biocomputers.Such systems could process information with the remarkable efficiency of biological brains, operating in liquid environments and potentially integrating with living tissue for advanced medical diagnostics and neuroprosthetics. The implications extend to ultra-sensitive, learning biosensors that identify disease markers and self-regulating drug delivery systems.This research pioneers the field of 'wetware,' where the boundaries between living cells and computer processors blur, demonstrating that the next leap in computational power may come from harnessing biological intelligence rather than shrinking transistors. The age of intelligent, adaptive nano-machines is now an emerging reality, built one nanopore at a time.

#featured

#bacterial nanopores

#brain-like learning

#bio-inspired computing

#ion-based processors

#EPFL research

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