Researchers at University of California, San Francisco are creating programmable microbes. Christopher Voigt, an associate professor at the University of California, treats the design of a microbe for a particular task much like writing a new computer program. By making changes in the microbial genetic circuitry Voigt and others have been able to program bacteria to do unique things such as draw the image of Albert Einstein on a petri dish! Checkout minute 1:21 of this video. Voigt used his circuit design method to make light sensitive E. coli that can record a shadow image of Albert Einstein.
Tags: albert einstein bacteria, bioengineering, genetic engineering