Genetically engineered fluorescent bacteria(E. Coli) has been implemented and tested successfully last month as a potential display unit where each pixel(called as bio-pixel), is made up of a colony of bacterias which contains 500 to 1000 such bacterias acting as a light source on a screen.
Bringing it in line with real time display screens, these biopixels are further engineered to form large circuits and even larger components with display powered with as many as 13000 biopixels. As tested, these biopixels were able to detect arsenic by blinking off and on and as a result turning off and on the screen. Though, there is still a big challenge to co-ordinate blinking among these outnumbered glowing bacterias.
Talking positively about the research, Jeff Hasty, a professor at UC San Diego's Division of Biological Sciences and BioCircuits Institute who headed the research, and his team hope that these biological circuits can be used as sensors for pollutants or other hazardous materials. They expect this technology to be used for a long-lasting and cheap environmental sensor with passing time.
No doubt, the project is of high potential and research value. If everything goes as planned, we are likely to witness devices using 100% biological display made up of bacterias in next five years.
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