Bio-computer powered by jellyfish DNA plays Tetris and other retro videogames

An Imperial alumus has developed a bio-pixel display that can play games such as Tetris, Snake or Pong using the protein that makes jellyfish glow. 

Bixel is a creative, educational tool that helps the public learn about synthetic biology, biotechnology and its applications. It was created by Cell-Free Technology, a start-up co-founded by Dyson School of Design Engineering graduate Helene Steiner.

Bixel is a simple self-assembly kit that allows users to build and code their own games powered by DNA. It consists of an 8x8 pixel display, programmed using jellyfish DNA to express Green Fluorescent Protein (GFP) – the material that makes jellyfish glow. The display can be manipulated with a smartphone app to activate the fluorescent colours, create messages and play simple games.

The team behind it say that it is the world's first visual display for interacting with biological circuits.

Cell-Free Technology were able to create Bixel after developing an innovative new technique that allows them to break open cells at large scale and extract their inner workings. It is safe, inexpensive, and does not involve the use of genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

Helene said: "Playing around with DNA usually involves using GMOs, which are not considered safe to use outside of a lab. We avoid that completely by removing the components that allow the cell to replicate, including the cell wall. What's left is a sort of biochemical soup containing the tiny machinery that is responsible for reading DNA and writing proteins – in this case GFP."