Data from: Implementation of complex biological logic circuits using spatially distributed multicellular consortia

Engineered synthetic biological devices have been designed to perform a variety of functions from sensing molecules and bioremediation to energy production and biomedicine. Notwithstanding, a major limitation of in vivo circuit implementation is the constraint associated to the use of standard methodologies for circuit design. Thus, future success of these devices depends on obtaining circuits with scalable complexity and reusable parts. Here we show how to build complex computational devices using multicellular consortia and space as key computational elements. This spatial modular design grants scalability since its general architecture is independent of the circuit’s complexity, minimizes wiring requirements and allows component reusability with minimal genetic engineering. The potential use of this approach is demonstrated by implementation of complex logical functions with up to six inputs, thus demonstrating the scalability and flexibility of this method. The potential implications of our results are outlined.经过工程化设计的合成生物学装置（engineered synthetic biological devices）可实现多样化功能，涵盖分子传感、生物修复、能源生产及生物医药等领域。尽管如此，体内（in vivo）电路实现的核心局限之一，便是采用标准化电路设计方法所带来的约束限制。因此，此类装置的未来发展前景，有赖于开发出具备可扩展复杂度与可复用组件的电路系统。本研究展示了如何以多细胞联合体（multicellular consortia）与空间维度作为核心计算元件，构建复杂的计算装置。该空间模块化设计具备优异的可扩展性：其通用架构不受电路复杂度限制，可大幅缩减布线需求，且仅需极少量基因工程操作即可实现组件复用。通过搭建最多包含6个输入的复杂逻辑功能电路，本研究验证了该方法的实际应用潜力，同时证实了其可扩展性与灵活性。本研究还概述了所得结果的潜在应用意义。