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bacterial transistor
Asked by: maestro
from SAN FRANCISCO, CA
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So a transistor is basically an electrical component that, when a threshold voltage is applied, a gate opens and allows current to pass through the component.
Is it possible to turn a bacteria, with voltage-sensitive ion channels, into a transistor? Apply the threshold voltage upon the bacteria membrane and the ion channels open to allow current to pass through. Taking a step further, can we modify internal cell conditions so that there are multiple threshold voltages, a multi-state transistor (rather than simply ON and OFF), where voltage A elicits one response and voltage B elicits a second response, etc.? How possible is all this?
So a transistor is basically an electrical component that, when a threshold voltage is applied, a gate opens and allows current to pass through the component.
Is it possible to turn a bacteria, with voltage-sensitive ion channels, into a transistor? Apply the threshold voltage upon the bacteria membrane and the ion channels open to allow current to pass through. Taking a step further, can we modify internal cell conditions so that there are multiple threshold voltages, a multi-state transistor (rather than simply ON and OFF), where voltage A elicits one response and voltage B elicits a second response, etc.? How possible is all this?
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Yes. Have a look at this...
Patch clamp technique is a technique in electrophysiology that allows the study of single or multiple ion channels in cells. The technique can be applied to a wide variety of cells but is especially useful in the study of excitable cells such as neurons, cardiac cells, muscle fibers and the beta cells of the pancreas. It can also be applied to the study of bacterial ion channels in specially prepared giant spheroplasts. In classic patch clamp te...
Patch clamp technique is a technique in electrophysiology that allows the study of single or multiple ion channels in cells. The technique can be applied to a wide variety of cells but is especially useful in the study of excitable cells such as neurons, cardiac cells, muscle fibers and the beta cells of the pancreas. It can also be applied to the study of bacterial ion channels in specially prepared giant spheroplasts. In classic patch clamp te...
