Scientists at Duke University in North Carolina have used a synthetic gene circuit to programme bacteria into creating a three - dimensional shell , according to an article in Nature Biotechnology . The team discovered the gene circuit prompted the synthesis of a protein that " recruited " inorganic materials , and the bacteria self - organised to create a shell . Applications could include pressure sensors , low - cost dies or moulds for manufacturing , or even materials that can change shape or repair themselves .
Scientists at Duke University in North Carolina have used a synthetic gene circuit to programme bacteria into creating a three-dimensional structure, according to an article in Nature Biotechnology. The team found the gene circuit prompted the release of a protein that "recruited" inorganic materials, and the bacteria self-organised to create a shell. Applications could include pressure sensors, low-cost dies or moulds for manufacturing, or even materials that can change shape or repair themselves.