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Phoenix666 [soylentnews.org] writes:

Phys.org [phys.org]:

Researchers at the Technion have created a biological computer, constructed within a bacterial cell and capable of monitoring different substances in the environment. Currently, the computer identifies and reports on toxic and other materials.
...
"We built a kind of biological computer in the living cells. In this computer, as in regular computers, circuits carry out complicated calculations," said Barger. "Only here, these circuits are genetic, not electronic, and information are carried by proteins and not electrons."

Bacterial luciferase and its substrate are encoded by five genes, and is responsible for generating light in the bacterial cell. By splitting the natural structure of the luciferase, the researchers created various genetic circuits and inserted them into the cells of E. coli bacteria. The result was that the engineered bacteria transmit signals as a product of computational action within the cell. In this way, they can serve as smart biosensors, analytical tools for monitoring and quantifying environmental infections and other toxic substances.

Is playing with self-replicating organisms advisable?

Original Submission