Artificial Intelligence Meets Biology: Xenobots Replicate Through Kinetic Replication

Scientists have announced a groundbreaking development in the field of robotics: the world's first living robots, known as xenobots, can now reproduce in a manner never before observed in plants or animals. These tiny organisms, measuring less than a millimeter in width, were created from the stem cells of African clawed frogs. Initially introduced to the world in 2020, xenobots were found to possess the ability to move, work together, and self-heal. Researchers from the University of Vermont, Tufts University, and Harvard University's Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering have now discovered a new form of biological reproduction exhibited by these living robots.

Michael Levin, a professor of biology and director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University, expressed his astonishment at the findings, stating that frogs typically reproduce in a specific manner. However, when the stem cells were removed from the embryos and placed in a different environment, they not only developed new methods of movement but also a novel mode of reproduction. Stem cells, which are capable of differentiating into various cell types, were collected from frog embryos to create xenobots without any genetic manipulation.

Josh Bongard, a computer science professor and robotics expert at the University of Vermont, clarified that although xenobots can be considered robots due to their autonomous actions, they are also organisms composed of unmodified frog cells. The researchers discovered that the xenobots, initially spherical and comprising approximately 3,000 cells, could replicate but only under specific conditions and infrequently. They employed "kinetic replication," a process observed at the molecular level but never before at the scale of entire cells or organisms.

 

To enhance the xenobots' replication capabilities, the researchers utilized artificial intelligence to test billions of body shapes. The supercomputer devised a C-shape reminiscent of the character Pac-Man from the eponymous 1980s video game. This shape enabled the xenobots to locate and gather tiny stem cells in a petri dish, resulting in the formation of new xenobots within a few days.

According to Bongard, the AI did not program the machines in the conventional sense but rather shaped and sculpted them, with the Pac-Man shape serving as the program itself. The researchers believe that this combination of molecular biology and artificial intelligence holds great potential for various applications in the field of medicine and environmental tasks, such as collecting microplastics, inspecting root systems, and regenerative medicine.

Despite the prospects presented by self-replicating biotechnology, the researchers emphasize that xenobots are currently confined to the laboratory and can be easily controlled or eliminated. They are biodegradable and subject to ethical regulations. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, a federal agency responsible for military technology development, partially funded the research.

While the technology is still in its early stages, the study published in the peer-reviewed scientific journal PNAS demonstrates the significant progress made in the field of living robotics. The researchers believe that by harnessing the plasticity and problem-solving abilities of cells, numerous possibilities can be explored.