Descrizione del progetto FET Proactive 3: Bio-chemistry-based Information Technology (CHEM-IT) Mostra l’obiettivo del progetto Nascondi l’obiettivo del progetto The main objective of BACTOCOM is to build a simple computer, using bacteria rather than silicon. Microbes may be thought of as biological "micro-machines" that process information about their own state and the world around them. By sensing their environment, certain bacteria are able to move in response to chemical signals, allowing them to seek out food, for example. They can also communicate with other bacteria, by leaving chemical trails, or by directly exchanging genetic information. We focus on this latter mechanism.Parts of the internal "program" of a bacterial cell (encoded by its genes, and the connections between them) may be "reprogrammed" in order to persuade it to perform human-defined tasks. By introducing artificial "circuits" made up of genetic components, we may add new behaviours or modify existing functionality within the cell. Existing examples of this include a bacterial oscillator, which causes the cells to periodically flash, and cell-based pollution detectors that can spot arsenic in drinking water. The potential for bio-engineering is huge, but the process itself is made difficult by the noisy, "messy" nature of the underlying material. Bacteria are hard to engineer, as they rarely conform to the traditional model of a computer or device, with well-defined components laid out in a fixed design.We intend to use the inherent randomness of natural processes to our advantage, by harnessing it as a framework for biological engineering. By allowing our system to evolve, we use natural selection to build new functional biological devices. We begin with a large number of simple DNA-based components, taken from a well-understood toolbox, which may be pieced together inside the cell to form new genetic programs. A population of bacteria then absorb these components, which may (or may not) affect their behaviour. Crucially, the core of our bacterial computer is made up of engineered microbes that can detect how well they are performing, according to some external measure, such as how well they can flash in time with light pulses.The better bacteria are allowed to release their program components back into the environment in much larger numbers than the other, less impressive cells. As these "good" components are then increasingly taken up by the population of cells, in a continual cycle, we gradually refine the internal program, until the whole population performs well. There are many potential benefits to this work, from both a biological and ICT perspective. By evolving new functional structures, we gain insight into biological systems. This, in turn, may suggest new methods for silicon-based computing, in the way that both evolution and the brain have already done. In building these new bio-devices, we offer a new type of programmable, microscopic information processor that will find applications in areas as diverse as environmental sensing and clean-up, medical diagnostics and therapeutics, energy and security. Campo scientifico engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processesnatural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriologynatural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollutionnatural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids Programma(i) FP7-ICT - Specific Programme "Cooperation": Information and communication technologies Argomento(i) ICT-2009.8.3 - FET Proactive 3: Bio-chemistry-based Information Technology (CHEM-IT) Invito a presentare proposte FP7-ICT-2009-4 Vedi altri progetti per questo bando Meccanismo di finanziamento CP - Collaborative project (generic) Coordinatore THE MANCHESTER METROPOLITAN UNIVERSITY Contributo UE € 328 426,00 Indirizzo OXFORD ROAD ALL SAINTS BUILDING M15 6BH Manchester Regno Unito Mostra sulla mappa Regione North West (England) Greater Manchester Manchester Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Contatto amministrativo Martyn Amos (Dr.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato Partecipanti (6) Classifica in ordine alfabetico Classifica per Contributo UE Espandi tutto Riduci tutto INTERUNIVERSITAIR MICRO-ELECTRONICA CENTRUM Partecipazione conclusa Belgio Contributo UE € 13 560,00 Indirizzo KAPELDREEF 75 3001 Leuven Mostra sulla mappa Regione Vlaams Gewest Prov. Vlaams-Brabant Arr. Leuven Tipo di attività Research Organisations Contatto amministrativo Christine Van Houtven (Ms.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato CHARITE - UNIVERSITAETSMEDIZIN BERLIN Germania Contributo UE € 244 188,00 Indirizzo Chariteplatz 1 10117 Berlin Mostra sulla mappa Regione Berlin Berlin Berlin Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Contatto amministrativo Eveline Fräßdorf Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato TECHNISCHE UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN Germania Contributo UE € 305 374,00 Indirizzo Arcisstrasse 21 80333 Muenchen Mostra sulla mappa Regione Bayern Oberbayern München, Kreisfreie Stadt Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Contatto amministrativo Friedrich C Simmel (Prof.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato UNIVERSIDAD POLITECNICA DE MADRID Spagna Contributo UE € 241 764,00 Indirizzo CALLE RAMIRO DE MAEZTU 7 EDIFICIO RECTORADO 28040 Madrid Mostra sulla mappa Regione Comunidad de Madrid Comunidad de Madrid Madrid Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Contatto amministrativo Alfonso Rodriguez-Paton (Prof.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato UNIVERSIDAD DE CANTABRIA Spagna Contributo UE € 436 239,00 Indirizzo AVENIDA DE LOS CASTROS S/N 39005 Santander Mostra sulla mappa Regione Noroeste Cantabria Cantabria Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Contatto amministrativo JUAN JOSE SAN MIGUEL (Mr.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato UNIVERSITE D'EVRY-VAL D'ESSONE Francia Contributo UE € 380 446,00 Indirizzo BOULEVARD FRANCOIS MITTERAND 23 91025 Evry Mostra sulla mappa Regione Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Essonne Tipo di attività Higher or Secondary Education Establishments Contatto amministrativo Alfonso Jaramillo (Prof.) Collegamenti Contatta l’organizzazione Opens in new window Sito web Opens in new window Costo totale Nessun dato