Coordination
From Biohack
Coordination is the problem in synbio where, because of the amorphous aspects of the fabricators (whether MNT or bacteria), you are unable to specify their exact positions and where they exactly secrete (release) their productions.
Contents |
Chemical axial positioning system
This relies somewhat on the extracellular matrix (ECM). The idea here would be to have maybe three different types of axises in the cell, and then allow these to be positioned on the cytoskeleton from the core of the cell (near the nucleus) to the inner surface of the membrane with a motor protein connecting the inner surface of the membrane to the end of the axis. Then, include another protein on the outer surface of the membrane that is able to detect whether or not there is a sufficient gradient during some sort of "negotation phase" on the axial placement. Once everything is in place, there should be cells that are lined up with each other on their three axises. There would be generally no confirmation that all three axises are in different directions, however. In this sort of scenario, you would begin with a single 'embro' or 'seed bacteria' that would then replicate in specific directions, all the while maintaining a general topological clue to where all of the units and agents are (or where the local cell is in relation to the overall project, if at all).
Puzzle-protein method
In this embodiment of amorphous fabrication, all fabricator units generate some product due to whatever local gradients and messages being received. They then build a particular protein that corresponds to the gradient and concentration, and secrete more messengers; some of these messengers will be a piece of the final puzzle of a protein construction that is being created. Ideally, a computer program (the amorphous compiler to split up the fabrication process from the 3D-def file) will split up the final product into very exact protein constructs that would function like puzzle pieces. Extra pieces will be OK because they can just be washed away. This would require protein folding.
How do plant cells align so exactly?
The ECM seems to be of some importance here, especially with the cellular walls, which necessarily restrict movement. This restriction on movement would not be entirely useful for a "nanoswarm" of fabricator units.
Starting with a printed array of cells
An interesting experiment: try starting with a flat culture medium with cells that are dropped in very specific locations, perhaps with wells where they would become temporarily 'stuck', or where we use a mechanical printer to drop the cells in very specific locations. The trick would be to maintain the relative distances from each of the cells even as the culture medium is removed. Possible culture mediums include agar or an aqueous environment if we can maintain the positioning of the cells, perhaps through mechanical water jets to keep the cells in their place as mechanical arms move about (which would otherwise, without the water jets, cause waves which would disturb the positioning of each of the cells).
