A Multiscale Communications System Based on Engineered Bacteria

Abstract

Although molecular communication systems have been shown to bear great potential for many useful in-body applications, they require the intervention, action, or input of an out-of-body actor. From an Internet of Bio-Nano Things perspective, a successful overall network aims to bring together the two links belonging to the in-body and out-of-body networks for end-to-end communications. For most applications, the uplink from the in-body sensor is more significant since it provides the multi-scalar connection required to relay the information sensed and carried by the molecular communication system to a macro-scale smart terminal. This article proposes two different mechanisms to sense the output of the molecular communication system and transmit the information to an on-body reader. Each mechanism involves different genetically engineered bacteria and specific antenna designs. An experimental setup is provided to demonstrate each proposed concept. The results constitute a proof of concept to detect the in-body bacterial activity from the on-body reader.

Experimental Research in Synthetic Molecular Communications -- Part I: Overview and Short-Range Systems

“…Bacteria-based Rxs: Two biological SMC designs were proposed in [27]. In both designs, bacteria were used to sense a molecular signal of interest, e.g., the presence of a biomarker, and the resulting bacteria activity was then detected externally as a proxy for the molecular signal.…”

“…In both designs, bacteria were used to sense a molecular signal of interest, e.g., the presence of a biomarker, and the resulting bacteria activity was then detected externally as a proxy for the molecular signal. In the first design proposed in [27], engineered bacteria were colocated with an LED and a photodiode on an in-body implant capable of actively transmitting wireless EM signals. In this design, the bacteria express fluorescent proteins in response to a molecular signal.…”

“…The electrical signal is finally transmitted to an external device using wireless EMbased communication. The second Rx design proposed in [27] relies on backscatter communication. Here, bacteria are colocated with a degradable resonator on a passive implant.…”