Dr. Ferdinand Greiss, Weizmann Institute of Science: Decision-making in artificial cells: the limits of biological computation The genome of a living cell acts as central processing unit that elicits an appropriate response to external information. It remained a challenge to test the dynamics of single gene circuits outside living cells in a well-defined environment with constant protein turn-over. Here, we programmed artificial cells with a minimal bistable gene circuit and revealed a transition from fuzzy and rapid decision-making to precise and slow computation by a 10^5-fold drop in the number of computing genetic circuits [1]. The natural gene circuit worked despite noisy gene expression at small copy numbers, suggesting 100-fold rate enhancement through the co-expressional localization of transcription factors. Our work sheds light on biological mechanisms to counteract noise, the tolerance for fuzzy, but timely decision-making in living cells, and guiding principles for the construction of artificial cells with low energetic cost.
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