XENOBOTS

A NEW CLASS OF ARTIFACT : A LIVING, PROGRAMMABLE ORGANISM

NISHIT DENISH PATEL SOHRAB ARDESHAR VAKHARIA

POSTGRADUATE STUDENT, TEACHING FACULTY, WEB CONSULTANCY,

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY,

COSMOPOLITIAN’S VALIA COLLEGE COSMOPOLITIAN’S VALIA COLLEGE

[email protected] [email protected]

OBJECTIVE

Moving forward towards EVOLUTION OF LIFE. A PROGRAMMABLE LIVING CREATURE

ABSTRACT

The research paper titled “XENOBOTS” is an attempt to design a programmable self-healing organism
that could blend-in with nature and can do grater good for human environment sustainability. This
XENOBOT are developed from an African Clawed Frog(XENOPUS LAEVIS), that has a natural mechanism
to redevelop damaged and ceased organs/cells. THE SKIN CELL, HEART CELL and STEM CELLS are used to
introduce specific program coded with EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHM.

The program coded focuses on evolution based on AI. The cells of XENOBOTS are developed by
SUPERCOMPUTERS and BIOLOGICAL PROCESSIONS. The anchoring idea is to collect micro-plastics from
water bodies and detect radioactive contamination.

KEYWORDS

EVOLUTIONARY ALGORITHM, XENOPUS LAEVIS, BIOLOGICAL PROCESSIONS

INTRODUCTION

FIG 1

The technology advancement is going at the speed of lights for over a century and a tremendous
contribution is done by technology in human life. The stepping stone idea of technology; to decrease
human efforts whilst increasing the efficiency of work. The scientist are always onto discovering the
unknown, finding new and efficient solutions for existing problems. This research also goes towards the
ultimate goal i.e. reduce human efforts whilst increasing the efficiency.

FIG 2

The scientist have attempted to hybrid technology and human. This XENOBOT is an example of hybrid.
The XENOBOT is made from an african clawed frog with abilities that comforts technology. The scientist
researched on different body cells of frog that can be utilised and after several attempts concluded on
this species as it can regrow damaged or dead cells of any kind. This is experiment was done in
UVM(UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT) laboratory where the tried several types of organisms based on body
shape and cell type and this frog fitted best. Several cells are withdrawn from frog and are programmed
in laboratory using supercomputers. The cells programmed are obtained from EMBRYO. The
programmed cells are then fused with other cells in embryo and the process continues. This fusion of
cells was done in TUFTS UNIVERSITY where they very carefully fuse the programmed cells with other,
first forms the heart and from heart each organ is developed over time. The cells pattern should match
and understanding nature of cells, their growth cycle, types of reactions and other properties of cell is
very necessary. Over a thousand cells from different species were tested. [2]

FIG 3

The material selection is wise as a biodegradable is always preferred over non-biodegradable

components. Any compound selected may not work with it as material like steel or plastic can be used
for longer durability but if a system with metal and plastic does not work same as before if we cut it in
half or damage of any other kind whereas, the natural skin of the frog is self-healing so even if the frog is
cut in half it can stich back together. This fits best incase the frog has to go through some rough patch.
The basic lifecycle of a XENOBOT is 7-10 days and after that they are just like an ordinary deceased frog.
This leads towards green computing with a environment friendly process. This lifecycle of frog is
extended and is utilised moments after its natural death so it also does not claims living frogs for the
purpose.[1]

STUDY

A very detailed study had to be done on how to implement program into some living creature, also on
the type of evolutionary algorithm implemented. The algorithm has to be defined with respect to
SELECTED ORGANISM, ITS FORM & FUNCTION, ITS CELL STRUCTURE AND COMMUNICATION
THROUGHOUT BODY. A deep study and examination on over thousand species led to this creature in
order to find the most optimal solutions. The protein needs to be embedded with corrective genes and
other parts of DNS whilst maintaining original form of the genomes. THE UNIVERSITY OF TUFTS AND
DARPA contributed towards the formation of XENOBOT. THE DARPA is famous for its lifelong learning
machines also national science foundation contributed few of its resources. The DEVELOPMENT,
FUNCTIONING AND GEOMETRIC PROPERTIES are shaped by BIO-ELECTRIC, BIO-CHEMICAL AND BIO-
MECHANICAL PROCESSES RUNS ON DNA SPECIFIC HARDWARE and these processes are reconfigurable
that makes it novel. The fact is that still XENOBOT has 100% of origin frog DNA but astonishingly it can
not be termed as frog.[4]

XENOBOTS AGGREGRATING DEBRIS[1]

ANALYSIS

The research toward XENOBOT is quiet OUT OF THE BLUE trial. This does not mean this is the first
research but the whole idea of developing certain organism is extraordinary. This research is in an
exploratory stage and is still not crystal clear or is still in understanding phase. The creature selection is
such a crucial step as this may define optimism of the process. If in any case if the selection process
carries error then later stage it may face loss in terms of finance and other resources and that may result
in compromise in optimism of process. The algorithm plays important role as the algorithm is the
backbone of process. The evolutionary algorithm are algorithm developed on evolution of species with
guiding principles of CHARLES DARWIN. This evolutionary algorithm concentrates on biological
development and is engraved in cells to shape the gene creation as per the defined method. The
algorithm was designed in UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT using UVM MACHINES and SUPER COMPUTERS.
The embedment of modified gene needs immense care and precision, this process was done in
laboratory of TUFTS UNIVERSITY. This combined efforts of students and professors of UNIVERSITY OF
VERMONT and UNIVERSITY OF TUFTS led towards creation of XENOBOT.

METHODOLOGY

The creation of XENOBOT does not have any preceding to follow, it is new in forming. Every step taken
yeilds new outcomes which has new learning in it that at the end concludes to the properties. The
algorithm uses evolutionary style as deep learning on evolution of an organism is conducted that is then
encoded in the embryo of selected organism. The coding and testing of a set of species was done by
JOSHUA BONGARD and other associates in laboratory of UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT on UVM MACHINES
and SUPERCOMPUTERS. The embedment was done at UNIVERSITY OF TUFTS by MICHAEL LEVIN,
DOUGLAS BLACKISTON and other associates. After the embryo contains genetically modified cells that
then undergoes development phase. The cells are modified and once they grow, they seem like just
brought back to life, but remember the life of XENOBOT is determined by us and follow whatever is
programmed.

IMPLEMENTATION

The implementation of the process is not at all an easy task neither it can be done without specific set of
super tools. The selection of organism was a big task as to test it from all perspectives in a set of around
10,000 different species. SAM KRIEGMAN at UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT with other associates designed
an evolutionary algorithm that had to be codded in cells. The coding of algorithm to cells was done in
super computers that reshape the genes. The cells are then slipped into the embryo from where the
cells were extracted. Then it starts developing and the heart cells initiates the formation of other parts.

CONCLUSION

The knowledge and facts gathered during this research teaches many thing about organisms their
biological structure and process and process of interaction between technology and living organism. The
XENOBOT may prove the worth for what it is. This step is towards sustainable environment and green
computing. The creation of XENOBOT adapts eco-friendly process and the XENOBOT has more pros then
cons. The XENOBOT can be used to collect micro-plastics from large water bodies where aquatic life is
suffering a lot because of this problem. The XENOBOT can also be sent to unexplored location for
detecting radiations or toxins in environment. In cellular form it can be used to carry drugs in human
body[3]. All this point proves more of advantages of XENOBOTS and the XENOBOT may turn out to be
very useful and help in building the better tomorrow.

FUTURE SCOPRE AND LIMITATION

The XENOBOT may take a solid stand in technology lobby as it can be enhanced to greater level of
utilisation. This research is just the stepping stone of this unique creature and has prodigious scale of
implementation. XENOBOT can be used to eradicate titanic problems of aquatic life, the MICRO-PLASTIC
is a colossal reason for small aquatic creatures that may even cause extinction of some rare species. This
problem do not have may ways to treat them as they are very boxy and the XENOBOT can track and
consume it. They may also be able to reuse their storage by unburdening them at some marked bin.
XENOBOT can also collect bad organisms like algae, fungi and other organisms that pollute the
environment of water body. If the same is implemented on some other fitting species then it may also
help supplant the oil spills in oceans that results in choking of many aquatic creatures and also disrupt
the state of water. XENOBOT can be sent to locations where humans cannot reach out or unknown
environments to detect radiation or other toxins. XENOBOT can also be turned more worthy if some
micro tracker can be installed, that might dethrone the limitation of lack of surveillance as it can be
recorded to test the implementation as they cannot be track and checked if they work or just decease
prior to expected period. It can be used to send drug to particular part of human body that may help
medicine react faster and effective so it may shorten the time of reaction and increase efficiency of the
medicine. By this side effects of some medicines can be oust as that is caused by unwanted reaction on
other locations. The limitation is lack of surveillance, once are created cannot be tracked or observed to
ensure it fulfils basic purposes. Then is lack of access, it has no feedback in the chain, once what is
created is the final product.

REFRENCES

[1]Botkin-Kowacki, E. (2020). Behold the xenobots – part frog, part robot. But are they alive?. [online]
The Christian Science Monitor. Available at: https://www.csmonitor.com/Science/ 2020/0131/Behold-
the-xenobots-part-frog-part-robot.-But-are-they-alive [Accessed 16 Feb. 2020].

[2]Brown, J. (2020). Living robots built using frog cells: Tiny 'xenobots' assembled from cells promise
advances from drug delivery to toxic waste clean-up. [online] ScienceDaily. Available at:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/01/200113175653.htm [Accessed 20 Jan. 2020].

[3]Coughlan, S. and Leins, K. (2020). Scientists Combine AI With Biology to Create Xenobots, the World's
First 'Living Robots'. [online] EcoWatch. Available at: https://www.ecowatch.com/ xenobot-ai-biology-
2644880026.html [Accessed 24 Jan. 2020].

[4]Heaven, D. (2020). These “xenobots” are living machines designed by an evolutionary algorithm.
[online] MIT Technology Review. Available at: https:// www.technologyreview.com/f/615041/these-
xenobots-are-living-machines-designed-by-anevolutionary-algorithm/ [Accessed 20 Jan. 2020].