Xenobots

The successful development of Xenobots (from African clawed frog stem cells) showed that microscopic blobs could move, work in groups, and even heal. Now researchers at the University of Vermont, Tufts University and Harvard University's Wyss Institute have taken this further – the xenobots can be made to reproduce! There is a difference though; this new form of reproduction is not known to any plant or animal species. With the aid of AI, the researchers tested billions of body shapes to discover the most effective one for this type of ‘kinetic replication’. A supercomputer suggested a C-shape that resembled Pac-Man, the 1980s video game.

https://edition.cnn.com/2021/11/29/americas/xenobots-self-replicating-robots-scn/index.html In a Petri dish these C-shaped parents could identify tiny stem cells, collect a large quantity inside their mouth, and in a few days these bundle of cells became ‘baby’ xenobots.

To address concerns regarding this self-replicating biotechnology the researchers claimed that these organisms were entirely contained in a lab, could be easily snuffed-out, were biodegradable and regulated by ethics experts. So, where can we use this technology? Applications could be designed for the human body, as in regenerative medicine, or for the environment – inspecting root systems or collecting microplastics from the oceans! Fascinating!