Scientists are one step closer to making a biologicalcomputer after building basic components for digital devices out of bacteria and DNA.
Some scientists believe that, in the future, small biological computers could roam our bodies monitoring our health and correcting any problems they find.
Researchers from Imperial College London have demonstrated they can build the "logic gates"which are the building blocks of today's microprocessors out of harmless bugs and chemicals.
The biological logic gates described in Nature Communications are the most advanced "biological circuitry" ever created by scientists.
Although still a long way off, the team suggests these biological logic gates could one day form the building blocks in microscopicbiological computers.
Devices may include sensors that swim inside arteries, detecting the build up of harmful plaque and rapidly delivering medications to the affected area.
Other applications may include sensors that detect and destroy cancer cells inside the body and pollution monitors that can be deployed in the environment, detecting and neutralising dangerous toxins such as arsenic.
Previous research only proved biological logic gates could be made. The advantage of the biological logic gates over previous attempts is that they behave more like their electronic counterparts.
The new biological gates are also modular, which means that they can be fitted together to make different types of logic gates, paving the way for more complexbiological processors to be built in the future.
The next stage of the research will see the team trying to develop more complex circuitry that comprises multiple logic gates.
One of challenges faced by the team is finding a way to link multiple biological logic gates together, similar to the way in which electronic logic gates are linked together, to enablecomplex processing to be carried out.


据英国《每日邮报》10月18日报道，科学家们用细菌和DNA建构了数字设备的基本组成部分，向着制造生物计算机的道路又迈进了一步。

一些科学家相信，未来小型生物计算机将能够在我们的身体内漫游，监测我们的健康状况，并解决发现的问题。

来自伦敦帝国学院的研究人员已经证明他们能够用无害的病菌和化学位置来建造"逻辑门"，"逻辑门"是现代计算机微处理器的基础。
《自然•通信》杂志中所描述的这种"生物逻辑门"是由科学家创造的有史以来最先进的"生物电路"。

尽管还有很长的路要走，但研究小组表示这些"生物逻辑门"总有一天会成为微生物计算机的基石。

能够应用的设备可能包括动脉内传感器，用以监测有害血小板的形成，并迅速前往感染区域提供治疗。

其他的应用程序可能包括置于人体内检测和摧毁癌细胞的感应器，以及能够安装在外部环境中的污染监控仪，能够监测并清除有毒物质，例如砷。

此前的研究只是证明了"生物逻辑门"是可以建造出来的。较之前人的尝试，此"生物逻辑门"的优势在于，它更加接近于电路逻辑门的运算方式。
新型"生物逻辑门"也是模块化的，这意味着可以进行叠加，并构建不同类型的逻辑门，这为未来研制更加复杂的生物计算机铺平了道路。

研究的下一阶段，科技人员将尝试开发包含多个逻辑门的更为复杂的电路。

研究人员面临的一大挑战在于找出联结多个逻辑门的方式，类似于电路逻辑门之间的相互联结，这样才能进行更加复杂的运算处理。

• computer [kəm´pju:tə] n.计算机；电子计算器 (初中英语单词)
• imperial [im´piəriəl] a.帝国的；庄严的 (初中英语单词)
• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)
• harmful [´hɑ:mful] a.有害的 (初中英语单词)
• cancer [´kænsə] n.癌；毒瘤 (初中英语单词)
• research [ri´sə:tʃ] n.&vi.调查；探究；研究 (初中英语单词)
• advantage [əd´vɑ:ntidʒ] n.优势；利益 (初中英语单词)
• previous [´pri:viəs] a.先，前，以前的 (初中英语单词)
• behave [bi´heiv] v.举止；表现；举止端正 (初中英语单词)
• complex [´kɔmpleks] a.复杂的 n.综合企业 (初中英语单词)
• enable [i´neibəl] vt.使能够；赋予权力 (初中英语单词)
• harmless [´hɑ:mləs] a.无害的，无恶意的 (高中英语单词)
• detect [di´tekt] vt.发觉；侦察 (高中英语单词)
• environment [in´vaiərənmənt] n.郊区；周围；条件 (高中英语单词)
• paving [´peiviŋ] n.铺砌；铺面 (高中英语单词)
• finding [´faindiŋ] n.发现物；判断；结果 (高中英语单词)
• bacteria [bæk´tiəriə] n.细菌 (英语四级单词)
• trying [´traiiŋ] a.难堪的；费劲的 (英语四级单词)
• biological [,baiə´lɔdʒikəl] a.生物学(上)的 (英语六级单词)
• microscopic [,maikrə´skɔpik] a.(象)显微镜的 (英语六级单词)
• affected [ə´fektid] a.做作的；假装的 (英语六级单词)