MIT Engineers Bacterial Transistors for Living Circuits

MIT researchers have built bacterial “transistors” that can be connected into living circuits capable of performing calculations and directing chemical signals. The team demonstrated that these biological components can be wired together to form functional networks. In future, the technology could be applied to coat plant roots or leaves, allowing crops to detect environmental threats and automatically trigger defensive responses. The work represents a step toward integrating biological computing with agricultural systems, potentially enabling plants to self‑monitor and respond to stressors without external intervention.