New Scientist have reported on a fascinating development in the field of Xenobots.

No, not robotic warrior princesses.

They're named after the species of frog, Xenopus laevis, whose embryotic cells were used to build the first xenobots.

Heart muscle and skin cells derived from stem cells are combined following a blueprint designed by AI.

Tiny bit mind-blowing but this is real.

Though not news.

The news is that they're now self-replicating and the method of replication is also new - moving loose cells together.

Most people have probably seen infants push blocks together to form something new. Conceptually it's ultra basic compared to known, naturally occurring methods of replication.

But these are tiny wee frog cells.

It's remarkable to think that we've gone from Frogger to almost Frog-Borg in just 4 decades.

We might not even be able to imagine what another 4 decades will yield.

[ Main Image: Herding particulate matter. Credit: Douglas Blackiston and Sam Kriegman. ]

References

Github. Computer Designed Organisms. (viewed November 30, 2021)

Wikipedia. Frogger. (viewed November 30, 2021)

Wikipedia. Xenobot. (viewed November 30, 2021)

Wong, Carissa (November 29, 2021). Living robots made from frog cells can replicate themselves in a dish. New Scientist.