Swarm Intelligence in Bioluminiscent Micro-Organisms Populations
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SWARM INTELLIGENCE IN BIOLUMINISCENT MICRO-ORGANISMS POPULATIONS Author: Eduardo Mayoral González Advisors: Edward Keller [email protected] Mitchell Joachim AAR, 2009_2010 Collaborator: Oliver Medvedik Columbia University, GSAPP Fig.1: Glowing dead prawns colonized by Pseudomonas Fluorescence bacteria 0. Abstract It analyzes the behavior of glowing micro-organisms populations and the relationships between them, There are a great number of bioluminescent micro- as well as the conditions that make them glow organisms that emit light for different purposes in better. To accomplish that purpose, two different nature. They form populations that show varied living forms are studied. The first one is Vibrio light emission features depending on the conditions Fischeri bacterium, and the second one Pyrocystis they live in and the relationships established Fusiformis, which is a unicellular alga. Different between the agents that shape these populations. living conditions are tested to observe their behavior and different geometries designed, to put This work explores the forms of swarm intelligence them inside and check how they work to extract these populations show and their living conditions, conclusions. to produce effective devices that emit light without consuming electricity. It does so taking advantage Keywords: bacteria, algae, bioluminescence, swarm of natural glowing mechanisms. intelligence, multiagent systems, quorum sensing. 1 1. Glowing micro-organisms. Design possibilities. BioMario (Fig.3) is a design proposal developed by a team at the University of Osaka for the IGEM Bacteria can be genetically modified to glow using 2009 competition. It uses genetically modified GFP (Green Fluorescent Protein) (Fig.2). Then they glowing bacteria to display an image of the emit light after being exposed to it. They can also videogame character Mario. It consists of a set of show glowing properties through a very simple petri dishes containing glowing bacteria, but it chemical reaction: luciferin substrate + 02 could be the beginning for a billboard design. substrate + luciferase enzyme (expressed in bacteria), resulting oxyluciferin + light. The advantage of chemical glowing is that there is no need to first storage light to then emit it as in photoluminiscent based processes. Therefore it is easier to control when the population of bacteria glows or not inducing the inputs needed for the reaction to happen. Depending on the density of the population and the way its agents communicate between them, the whole will behave differently. This is due to quorum sensing, which is a decision-making process used by decentralized groups of individuals to coordinate social behavior. Quorum sensing can function as a decision-making process in any decentralized system, as long as individual components have a means of assessing the number of other components they interact with. Then a standard response is given once a specific number of Fig.3: BioMario Namba K. Minamino T. Morimoto Y. (2009) components are detected. The bioluminescent There are other proposals for domestic furniture luciferase produced by certain kind of bacteria developed by the Symbiotic Bacterial Light Project would not be visible if it was produced by a single in Canberra, like Deep Green 1 or the Jellyfish cell. Using quorum sensing to limit the production Lounge that also deal with bioluminescent bacteria of luciferase to situations when cell populations are (Fig.4). The first one is a lighting structure that large, bacteria are able to avoid wasting energy has glowing bacteria inside tubes filled with water. and glow when the population reaches a significant The water moves producing bubbles and the number of agents. This form of swarm intelligence bacteria glow inside. The second one is a chair with is explored in this work to get population of micro- a screen, which is powered with bioluminescent organisms glowing brighter. bacteria that emits faint light for reading or chilling. Fig.4: Deep Green 1 and Jellyfish Lounge Takayama K. and Fig.2: Genetically engineered glowing bacteria Nicholson J. (2004) 2 There are other bacteria and unicellular algae that 2. Manipulating Vibrio Fischeri and Pyrocystis glow naturally without being manipulated. They live Fusiformis for design purposes. in colonies or in symbiotic relationships with other living beings like corals or squids (Fig.5). That This work shows the analysis and results obtained opens up different design scenarios using these manipulating two different kinds of glowing micro- micro-organisms since there is the possibility to organisms. They were grown to test their think of designs where populations of glowing possibilities and build design devices that do not bacteria or algae are considered alone, or in consume electricity to emit light. The work digs symbiosis with other living systems that help them into the living swarm forms of intelligence they to subsist (e.g. providing them with nutrients). show, their living conditions, and the way they could be implemented in artificial geometries and structures for design purposes. It also presents some design proposals based on what was learnt. The two different species treated are Vibrio Fischeri and Pyrocystis Fusiformis. Vibrio Fischeri (Fig.6) is a gram-negative rod- shaped bacterium found globally in marine environments, usually in temperate sub-tropical waters. It is heterotrophic (it commonly eats agar) and moves by means of flagella. It can survive on decaying organic matter. It has bioluminescent properties and is found predominantly in symbiosis with various marine animals. The bioluminescence of Vibrio Fischeri is caused by transcription induced Fig.5: Avatar James Cameron (2009) and Pyrocystis Fusiformis by population-dependent quorum sensing. Hence in symbiosis with a squid the luminescence is only seen when population density reaches a certain level. It is regulated by Therefore it is worth taking advantage of forms of autoinduction. An autoinducer is a transcriptional swarm intelligence shown by populations of glowing promoter of the enzymes necessary for micro-organisms (like quorum sensing), as well as bioluminescence and it must be present for other forms of intelligence that might take place glowing. Luminescence in Vibrio Fischeri appears to due to symbiotic relationships between these follow a circadian rhythm, meaning it is brighter organisms and other living systems. That would during nighttime than daytime. give rise to design proposals for lighting devices not based on electricity consumption. In addition we should consider the benefits of hybridizing these glowing living systems with artificially produced geometries and structures that might host them for design purposes. Then it makes sense to think about how to manipulate these sort of living multiagent systems to create public lighting devices that do not generate artificial waste such as traffic lights, emergency lighting, faint illumination for parks or highways, or screens and billboards displaying information and light. All of them could work powered by populations of bacteria or algae. Fig.6: Vibrio Fischeri 3 Vibrio Fischeri populations get the nutrients it needs thanks to the symbiotic relationship it establishes with animals. In return it helps animals to find mates, ward off predators, attract preys or communicate with other organisms, due to its bioluminescent properties. Several tubes of Vibrio Fischeri were ordered to check their glowing properties. Some of the tubes contained populations of bacteria and others agar nutrients (Fig.7). To grow them you have to rub carefully the tubes containing bacteria with a spatula and introduce it in the ones containing agar. Then you remove the spatula and cap loosely the tube. They grow as far as they have nutrients and they start glowing in about four days. They were put inside an incubator (Fig.8-9) since they grow better if the temperature is between 18ºC and 27ºC. In ten days they consumed the nutrients and their bioluminescent properties started decreasing until they died. After a week, some cultures were placed in the fridge at 4ºC to keep Fig.8: Incubator them alive. Several subcultures were made during the process transferring a piece of culture from one tube to another one with nutrients. Fig.7: Vibrio Fischeri and agar tubes Fig.9: Vibrio Fischeri tubes 4 Vibrio Fischeri does not glow much unless the Since they are organic living beings, they could be population reaches a very high density. Besides used to illuminate natural environments without they die if they run out of nutrients. Therefore they placing artificial lamps in the woods (Fig.11). Vibrio work well for faint illumination or in very high Fischeri performs chemical bioluminescence and concentrations as long as they have nutrients. follows a circadian rhythm, which makes it glow Vibrio Fischeri does not need to receive light for naturally at night. Since there is no need to have a glowing like photoluminiscent organisms because very powerful lighting source in the woods, Vibrio they chemically glow. These features should be Fischeri would perfectly work for highlighting considered for design when using these bacteria. remarkable spots or for signposting paths. A flexible structure made of natural rubber or other Vibrio Fischeri could be used for static commercial organic biodegradable material, could work to billboards (Fig.10). In that case, the bacteria would adapt its shape to organic natural forms and be make the images more visible at night but the attached to them. If the geometry of this structure where the bacteria would be structure is pixel based and it is provided with a implemented should reproduce the image very number of holes or cavities, it could host certain clearly. Otherwise the image would not be visible. amount of agar. Agar is a glucose substance Eventually the image would disappear but that extracted from red algae and it works pretty well might be an advantage for a commercial strategy. to feed Vibrio Fischeri. It would have to be replaced It would also take a while for the image to be to keep bacteria alive though. However the recognizable while the bacteria are growing.