'Xenobots' - A Bio-Engineering Marvel

A summary paper on : “Xenobots” Harshita Dubey1 and Dr. Aditya Jain2 1

Department of Electronics and Telecommunication, Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), (SIU) Lavale, Pune, Maharashtra, India Email: harshita.dubey.mtech2021@sitpune.edu.in

2

Department of Electronics and Telecommunication, Symbiosis Institute of Technology (SIT), Symbiosis International (Deemed University), (SIU) Lavale, Pune, Maharashtra, India Email: aditya.j@sitpune.edu.in

Abstract “Xenobots” are one of the most trending subjects being talked about these days. It is an achievement not only in the field of Engineering but also Biology. They happen to be the world’s first living robot that can self-replicate. It can be called as Robotic features imbibed in a living organism. These synthetic life forms were first created in year 202 by using stem cells from frog embryos. These are capable of moving, working together in group and self-healing. This study paper talks about it as to what it really is, how it was created and what are its future aspects. This includes a gist of the result that the scientists have come up with in order to create Xenobots.

Introduction “Xenobots” are a miniature robot are synthetic life-forms that are designed using computer system applications. These computer-designed organisms can reproduce in a way different from any animal or plant known to science. They reproduce by collecting loose stem cells and assembling baby xenobots inside their pac-man shaped mouth. In size xenobot is less than a millimeter wide and small enough to travel inside a human body. The reason why it is important is that the scientists find this research promising for regenerative medicine which could be solution to traumatic injuries, cancer, aeging and birth defects. These miniature robots are visible to the naked eye but their movements can be seen only through microscope. It is man-made biological machine which is consumes or survives on nutrients but works on the computer-generated instructions given by human. Xenobots do not have inherent property unlike the biological cells. The name “Xenobots” originates from a genetic name of an African frog i.e., Xenopus whose cells are used in order to create them.

Xenobot creation In case of Xenobots single cell type is not used unlike the single cell life forms like Amoeba and Algae. In xenobots, every cell has a pattern or functionality as per its type. For instance, human heart works with the heart cells in it that have their particular job or function at the same time coordinating with other cell types of other organs in the human body. All in all, there is a system that is followed but the only difference is that in case of xenobots it is not biological. Scientists who found Xenobots namely Sam Kriegman, Douglas Blackiston, Michael Levin, Josh Bongard have found a behavior that can be monitored wherein the cells act as carriers and can be operated technologically.

Steps in creating the Xenobots

The stem cells gathered are used in this which are collected from the embryo of the Xeno frog. An Egg or embryo consists of stem cells that can be categorized into differentiated and undifferentiated types. When an egg develops further, data gets biologically fed in it after which the stem cells in it come under the category of differentiated cells. By differentiated we mean that the cells have attained a function now which is to carry out a task. In case of Xenobots, the data is fed into the cells through a computer program and not biologically.

Genetic features pass on biologically

stem cells of skin and heart taken as biological carriers to computer program

Normal way of develop ment of egg

Biological process of development occurs – phase from eggs to tadpoles to frogs

Xenob ot way Synthetic material and code application

Note - The skin Behaviour analysed and interpreted cell of the frog using computer system which is acts as the back programmed wherein henceforth a blueprint is created bone is for the Process is repeated and Loop hard quality in created and Xenobot and many simulations are caried out the heart cell A pattern is observed out of the acts as the movements of the combination, the engine as it machine tends to learn this and with this many simulations are created giving rise carries out to many algorithms recorded in the movements and Super-computer computer system provides locomotion Cells start reproducing (Pac-man image on right) and working the way to the Xenobot. instructed through code programming

Image source – wired.com Image source – the-scientist.com

Diagram 1. A brief flowchart of the steps in which the Xenobots are created As shown in the Diagram 1 above, the skin and heart cells are all combined by being programmed on computer system originating a lab blueprint. The data received as output was monitored into the computer which then created a pattern. Behavioral analysis is carried out which is then processed and put into a super computer. This creates a revolutionary algorithm and code that can monitor or control the movement of Xenobots.

Result A working ‘DRONE’ gets created which can function as per super computer commands. In the result apart from this, many unknown movements were also found to be generating in Xenobots which were involuntary. These unknown movements cannot be predicted due to the biological part of emergent property of it. In this way many patterns can be generated which can be monitored and eventually be controllable as well in the coming days.

Future of Xenobots As of now Xenobots are at their very early stage. This stage can be compared to the time when Einstein found the basic component that after 10 years created what we call as LASER which further after many years got used in several technologies and applications.

The loop mechanisms used in the creation of Xenobots can be applied and re-created using other animals or organisms apart from frog. There are many ideas and innovations that can be applied in order to come up with the best discoveries relating to Xenobot.

Xenobots if used in the healthcare sector can be programmed to remove clots from heart and brain vessels curing human beings from heart attacks and brain strokes. It can also be used to fight cancer and clear the oily plaques from heart vessels. This can be seen in form of Diagram 2 below.

Xenobot s

Xenobots first programmed to dissolve blood clots are injected inside the brain of the human patient

Xenobots first programmed to dissolve or break the oil plaques are injected inside the brain of the human patient to avoid heart attacks

Xenobots first programmed to kill cancer cells are injected inside the body of human patient suffering from cancer – xenobots are

Diagram 2. Illustration of future prospects of Xenobots and advancements that can be achieved in Healthcare and Biomedical field

References through Table 1

Table 1. Systematic table representation of the Research Papers, their topics, authors and their study explained in brief Research Paper Title and Author

“A cellular platform for the development of synthetic living machines” by Douglas Blackiston, Emma Lederer, Sam Kriegman, Simon Garnier, Joshua Bongard, Michael Levin, “The Edge of the Organic: Philosophical Issues of Synthetic Morphology” by Kai Judson

Subject focus area

They have talked about “Xenobot swarm” and how they can provide the evidence through their research the existence of a memory being established in the Xenobot using photoconvertible protein that is capable of recording its exposure to a specific wavelength of light.

His paper mentions about the advanced development in the field of Biomedical Engineering. He talks about how Biology and Engineering, the two separate fields, are merging in order to create an altogether new technology. He has mentioned that Xenobots not only involves Engineering but it also involves Programming or Computer Science sector of it.

“A scalable pipeline for designing His paper covers the scalable aspect reconfigurable organisms” or motive in order to design livingby systems that too in Silico manner by Sam Kriegmana, Douglas simply using the ‘evolutionary Blackistonb, Michael Levinb and Josh algorithm’.

Bongarda

“Recent advances in evolutionary and bio-inspired adaptive robotics: Exploiting embodied dynamics” by Phil Husbands, Yoonsik Shim, Michael Garvie, Alex Dewar, Norbert Domcsek, Paul Graham, James Knight, Thomas Nowotny, Andrew Philippides

This paper talks about the dynamics of the “brain-body-environment” interactions wherein technology plays a crucial role. The authors here have also talked about the “evolutionary algorithm” but the one generating the “multi-objective” personality in the Xenobots hence making them evolve more.

“Artificial life: sustainable selfreplicating systems” by Carlos Gershenson, Jitka and Cejkov

The authors here have elaborated about the new trending concept of A-Life that stands for “Artificial Life” which involves the “Soft” and “Hard” parts further.