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    Building machines with repurposed cells

    Truely, we live in a wonderous age:

    Stingray Robot Uses Light-Activated Rat Cells to Swim


    From the article:

    Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.


    #2
    Re: Building machines with repurposed cells

    I wonder why they used sugar as the fuel source. If it's using organic cells, wouldn't it make more sense to have it fueled by good fats?

    (I didn't read the article [yet] so if they explain it in there, ignore this post. XD)
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      #3
      Re: Building machines with repurposed cells

      Originally posted by Juniper View Post
      I wonder why they used sugar as the fuel source. If it's using organic cells, wouldn't it make more sense to have it fueled by good fats?

      (I didn't read the article [yet] so if they explain it in there, ignore this post. XD)
      In this case, I don't know (I skimmed the actual journal article, but didn't see mention of it--I'll go back and read it later, because its really neat), but in general, not all cells can be fueled by lipids, and not all physiological conditions of a cell (even one that can use glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids as a metabolic fuel source) support fatty acid oxidation. But...all cells can break down glucose, and can do it in a wide range of conditions, and its a more direct chemical reaction to support---fatty acid metabolism might make for more energy overall, but it takes more intermediary steps. Also, a there's probably some viscosity issues to be dealt with as a swimming machine...and glucose mixes with water better than lipids.
      Wonderful Life: The Burgess Shale and the Nature of HistoryPagan Devotionals, because the wind and the rain is our Bible
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        #4
        Re: Building machines with repurposed cells

        Originally posted by thalassa View Post
        In this case, I don't know (I skimmed the actual journal article, but didn't see mention of it--I'll go back and read it later, because its really neat), but in general, not all cells can be fueled by lipids, and not all physiological conditions of a cell (even one that can use glucose, fatty acids, and amino acids as a metabolic fuel source) support fatty acid oxidation. But...all cells can break down glucose, and can do it in a wide range of conditions, and its a more direct chemical reaction to support---fatty acid metabolism might make for more energy overall, but it takes more intermediary steps. Also, a there's probably some viscosity issues to be dealt with as a swimming machine...and glucose mixes with water better than lipids.
        I think this is in line with what you've said, but my guess (as a dude generally ignorant of physiology, but not adverse to taking a guess ) is that they were more interested in a limited short term operation, and sugar fuels that without requiring extra cell resource baggage.
        Every moment of a life is a horrible tragedy, a slapstick comedy, dark nihilism, golden illumination, or nothing at all; depending on how we write the story we tell ourselves.

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          #5
          Re: Building machines with repurposed cells

          Burning fats takes a lot more oxygen than burning sugar. It is more economical to feed cells sugar than fats.
          The Dragon sees infinity and those it touches are forced to feel the reality of it.
          I am his student and his partner. He is my guide and an ominous friend.

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            #6
            Re: Building machines with repurposed cells

            I will go along with that,as I tend to fuel a big percentage with sugar when I am not digging into a nice pork sausage or a BBQ chicken wing...(Omnivore's get to taste so much more)

            "It is more economical to feed cells sugar than fats." Perhaps why it is named "Comfort food"

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              #7
              Re: Building machines with repurposed cells

              It might have been extremely difficult to suspend fats in the living media and add oxygen to it to maintain the process. Sugar dissolves readily in water and both the water and the sugar contain oxygen. Much easier to deal with in the lab.
              The Dragon sees infinity and those it touches are forced to feel the reality of it.
              I am his student and his partner. He is my guide and an ominous friend.

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                #8
                Re: Building machines with repurposed cells

                Fats.have to be transported across the cell membrane...they don't pass through by way of simple or facilitated diffusion, or thought ion channels, etc. There's quite a bit of preparation of a lipid that has to occur before it can be transported into the cell. Possible for a whole organism, but I'm not sure how a sheet of cells would manage it without the specialized cell of that organism that normally handle packaging the fat molecules for uptake.

                Glucose can be absorbed through facilitated diffusion (our red blood cells do it, since they can't metabolize fat at all) as well as two types of active transport.
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