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Designer Cells Can Count

Submitted by LiveScience Staff

posted: 02 June 2009 08:09 pm ET

Engineers have designed cells that can count and "remember" things that happen to the cells, using simple circuits in which a series of genes are activated in a specific order.

Researchers don't expect their computational abilities to reach that of computers, but the computer-like function of the cells could be used to count the number of times a cell divides, or to study a sequence of developmental stages. They could also serve as biosensors that count exposures to different toxins.

The work was done at MIT and Boston University and detailed in the May 29 issue of the journal Science.

Read full story at MIT

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