marcel blattner | May, 2025
Introduction
This blog post is about my small booklet "The Hidden (R)Evolution". I document how scientists are moving beyond traditional machines made of metal and silicon and instead using living materials to create new kinds of systems.
The idea to write about this topic emerged during my collaboration with Dr. Michael Levin, a Professor at Tufts University. Michael is a developmental biologist. He is also the director of the Allen Discovery Center at Tufts University and the Tufts Center for Regenerative and Developmental Biology. Michael radically changed my view on many things, e.g., what complexity means, how we should approach terms like intelligence, etc.
Mike and I are about to publish two new papers. I will document it once the papers pass the peer review process.
I cover two related ideas in the booklet: bio-engineered robots and the broader field of Artificial Life (ALife).
You can download the booklet here. "The Hidden (R)Evolution"
Building Robots from Living Cells
A significant part of this booklet focuses on robots built not from hardware, but from living cells. It introduces Xenobots, which are tiny machines assembled from frog embryo cells. These were designed with the help of computer algorithms that figured out shapes that could move or perform simple tasks. I explain how these cell clusters, guided by their design, can propel themselves and interact with their environment, like pushing small particles.
Another type discussed is Anthrobots. Unlike Xenobots that need careful assembly, Anthrobots are made from adult human cells (like those lining the windpipe) that naturally self-assemble into moving clusters when grown in specific lab conditions. These biobots use tiny hair-like structures called cilia to move around. I highlight that these creations use the cells' existing abilities in new ways, without genetic modification.
Potential Uses and Important Questions
What could these living robots be used for? I describe several potential applications. Because they are biodegradable, Xenobots might be useful for environmental tasks, like collecting microplastics from water, breaking down naturally afterward. Anthrobots, being made from human cells, show promise for medicine. They could potentially deliver drugs directly to specific sites in the body or even help repair damaged tissues. Experiments have shown Anthrobots can encourage neuron regrowth in a lab setting.
However, creating life-like machines also brings up important ethical considerations, which I address. Questions arise about the moral status of these creations and the potential risks if they were released or misused. Current biobots lack brains or consciousness and have built-in limits, like short lifespans and needing specific lab conditions to survive, which minimizes risks for now.
Exploring Artificial Life (ALife)
The second section shifts to the wider field of Artificial Life, or ALife. ALife is described as the study of "life as it could be," aiming to understand the fundamental principles of life by creating artificial systems that exhibit life-like behaviors. This involves computer simulations, chemical systems, and robots.
I touch on key ALife concepts like emergence and self-organization – how complex behaviors (like bird flocking or patterns in Conway's Game of Life) can arise from simple rules without a central controller. You will find a link to an app illustrating emergent behaviour from simple rules. It also discusses digital evolution, where computer programs evolve over generations within simulations like Tierra, showing phenomena like adaptation and parasitism emerging spontaneously. Wet ALife, which includes building protocells or synthetic organisms in the lab, is also covered, linking ALife to synthetic biology and origin-of-life research.
Understanding Life's Principles
By building and studying artificial life forms and bio-engineered systems, researchers can test ideas about evolution, development, and the basic requirements for life in ways not possible just by studying existing organisms. I suggest that the work described in the booklet is bridging biology, robotics, and computer science, not only opens doors to new technologies but also helps us explore the fundamental rules that might govern life anywhere it could exist.