Research by Viola Tokárová and Ondřej Kašpar Featured on the Cover of Microsystems & Nanoengineering
An illustration accompanying a recent publication co-authored by Viola Tokárová and Ondřej Kašpar from the Department of Chemical Engineering has been selected by the editors of Microsystems & Nanoengineering as the journal's October cover art. For two weeks, the article will be featured prominently on the journal's homepage at www.nature.com/micronano.
The paper, Amplification of computational power by the multiplication of bacteria exploring microfluidic networks encoding mathematical problems, is the result of a long-standing collaboration between McGill University (Canada), King's College London (UK), Queensland University of Technology (Australia), the Kavli Institute of Nanoscience Delft (Netherlands), Molecular Sense Ltd. (UK), and the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague.
What is the paper about?
1. Why bother when we already have computers?
Some mathematical problems are a nightmare for conventional computers. Traditional computers typically process instructions sequentially, and for extremely complex problems, the number of possible solutions can grow so rapidly that finding an answer could take even the most powerful supercomputers decades (perhaps even Deep Thought from The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy) and consume enormous amounts of energy.
2. Turning a mathematical problem into a maze
Instead of conventional computer code, the researchers use a miniature physical maze: a microfluidic network. Its channels and junctions are designed to represent a particular complex mathematical problem, while taking advantage of the natural movement and behavior of bacteria as they explore the network.
3. Strength in numbers
Introducing bacteria into the maze one by one is somewhat like booting up a computer — the slowest part of the process. Fortunately, the bacteria thrive inside the microfluidic network, multiplying exponentially and dramatically increasing the computational capacity of the system.
As a result, millions of possible paths can be explored in parallel. The bacteria that successfully reach the maze's destination reveal valid solutions to the mathematical problem encoded in its intricate network of microscopic channels and junctions.
If you're interested in the idea of using bacteria instead of conventional electronic chips to solve complex mathematical problems, visit the Biomimetic Engineering Research Group website or contact Viola Tokárová or Ondřej Kašpar.