Operating system for cells

[FreddyG]

(CNN) -- No doubt, it is difficult to design operating systems for computers that simultaneously run numerous applications, while managing interactions between multiple types of hardware and responding to a multitude of commands from users.

Now imagine trying to design a similar operating system not for a laptop, a PC or even a smartphone, but rather for something much, much tinier -- a living biological cell.

This is exactly what a group of scientists at the University of Nottingham, in England, will attempt to do as part of a five-year, $1.58 million research project that has been aptly named AudACiOus -- which, according to researchers is derived from "towArds a Universal BiologicAl-Cell Operating System" with an extraneous "D" and "U" thrown in.

It is undoubtedly an audacious and ambitious initiative, but if the researchers are successful it could result in a major breakthrough for synthetic biology -- a relatively new and somewhat controversial interdisciplinary field.

It combines biology, chemistry, physics, computer science and engineering to program genetic components of a cell to perform new biological functions -- such as bacteria that could produce biofuel or vaccines.

Researchers say the project could lead to the creation of completely new cellular life forms that could do anything from cleaning up pollutants in the environment to detecting and treating viruses before they enter the human body.

[Sabre]

Wow, this brings up all kinds of thoughts...
You could conceivably create cells that could never be gotten rid of through "normal" means, aka, anti-biotics and virals.
I'm not even sure we could create a rudimentary OS for cells in the first place.
etc. etc.

Very cool, VERY scary!

[FreddyG]

If this was 100% operational and in the wrong hands, it would create a whole new meaning to biological warfare.

[Raven]

I'm gonna stock up ammo for the coming zombie apocalypse.

[complacent]

anti-virus subscription services will be very popular.

[Mr Kleen]

[Sabre]

So now we have nano-bots with embedded OS's and wetware with human made OS's. Now we put the two together... and RUN LIKE HELL!