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ScienceQuiet 11d · day 14

Georgia Tech study finds bacteria learn and store memories like neural networks

Research published in PRX Life shows single bacterial cells adapt using past experience, with ribosomes as likely memory storage sites.

newest coverage 10d agosummary written 13d ago12 pieces22 likes & upvotes NewswiresGoogle NewsMastodonHacker News

What to know

  • Individual bacteria demonstrate learning and memory formation without brains or neurons, adapting behavior based on past nutrient history.
  • Ribosomes emerge as the likely molecular storage site for bacterial memories, with fast and slow responders maintaining multi-timescale temporal information.
  • The research parallels artificial neural networks and challenges conventional understanding of cognition as requiring nervous systems.

“If the bacteria were simply reacting to their present environment, they would respond to a sudden pulse of food in exactly the same way, regardless of whether their previous environment was stable or rapidly fluctuating. Instead, when exposed to the same influx of nutrients, bacteria that had just experienced a feast-and-famine environment adapted much faster than bacteria coming from a stable environment.”

Shiladitya Banerjee, Associate Professor of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology · The Conversation US ↗

Shiladitya Banerjee Associate Professor of Physics, Georgia Institute of Technology; lead researcher

Georgia Tech study finds bacteria learn and store memories like neural networks
theconversation.com

How it unfolded 2 developments, newest first · click a bar or a number to jump articlesposts

Peak 3 pieces in 4h at Sep 10, 7 AM; 12 pieces over 14 days (7 articles · 5 posts) Sep 10, 7 AM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Google News 2, Newswires 1Sep 10, 11 AM — quietSep 10, 3 PM — 3 pieces · 3 articles — Google News 2, Newswires 1Sep 10, 7 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 10, 11 PM — quietSep 11, 3 AM — 1 piece · 1 post — Hacker News 1Sep 11, 7 AM — quietSep 11, 11 AM — quietSep 11, 3 PM — quietSep 11, 7 PM — quietSep 11, 11 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 12, 3 AM — quietSep 12, 7 AM — quietSep 12, 11 AM — 1 piece · 1 article — Mastodon 1Sep 12, 3 PM — quietSep 12, 7 PM — quietSep 12, 11 PM — quietSep 13, 3 AM — quietSep 13, 7 AM — quietSep 13, 11 AM — quietSep 13, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 13, 7 PM — quietSep 13, 11 PM — quietSep 14, 3 AM — quietSep 14, 7 AM — quietSep 14, 11 AM — quietSep 14, 3 PM — quietSep 14, 7 PM — quietSep 14, 11 PM — quietSep 15, 3 AM — quietSep 15, 7 AM — quietSep 15, 11 AM — quietSep 15, 3 PM — quietSep 15, 7 PM — quietSep 15, 11 PM — quietSep 16, 3 AM — quietSep 16, 7 AM — quietSep 16, 11 AM — quietSep 16, 3 PM — 1 piece · 1 post — Mastodon 1Sep 16, 7 PM — quietSep 16, 11 PM — quietSep 17, 3 AM — quietSep 17, 7 AM — quietSep 17, 11 AM — quietSep 17, 3 PM — quietSep 17, 7 PM — quietSep 17, 11 PM — quietSep 18, 3 AM — quietSep 18, 7 AM — quietSep 18, 11 AM — quietSep 18, 3 PM — quietSep 18, 7 PM — quietSep 18, 11 PM — quietSep 19, 3 AM — quietSep 19, 7 AM — quietSep 19, 11 AM — quietSep 19, 3 PM — quietSep 19, 7 PM — quietSep 19, 11 PM — quietSep 20, 3 AM — quietSep 20, 7 AM — quietSep 20, 11 AM — quietSep 20, 3 PM — quietSep 20, 7 PM — quietSep 20, 11 PM — quietSep 21, 3 AM — quietSep 21, 7 AM — quietSep 21, 11 AM — quietSep 21, 3 PM — quietSep 21, 7 PM — quietSep 21, 11 PM — quietSep 22, 3 AM — quietSep 22, 7 AM — quietSep 22, 11 AM — quietSep 22, 3 PM — quietSep 22, 7 PM — quietSep 22, 11 PM — quietYesterday, 3 AM — quietYesterday, 7 AM — quietYesterday, 11 AM — quietYesterday, 3 PM — quietYesterday, 7 PM — quietYesterday, 11 PM — quietToday, 3 AM — quietToday, 7 AM — quiet 1–2
Sep 11Sep 12Sep 13Sep 14Sep 15Sep 16Sep 17Sep 18Sep 19Sep 20Sep 21Sep 22now · 8:50 AM ET
  1. background

    Research shared on academic social networks — The study begins circulating on Mastodon and other platforms with tags linking it to neuroscience, biology, and artificial intelligence discussions.

  2. 2

    Study identifies ribosomes as bacterial memory storage mechanism

    Mathematical modeling revealed that ribosomes—the molecular factories responsible for protein production and growth rate—likely serve as the site where bacteria store memories. Fast-responding ribosomes track present conditions while slow-responding ones retain traces of the past, creating a memory spanning minutes to hours.

    “Our model pointed to a component of cells called ribosomes as a potential memory storage site. Ribosomes are the molecular factories of cells, building proteins and setting how fast a cell grows.”
    — Shiladitya Banerjee
    • TheConversationUS@newsie.social

      🦠‼️ Bacteria can store memories, learn from past experiences and use that information to prepare for the future, according to a new study. And they may be doing it using some of the same basic logic as # AI . https:// theconversation.com/learning-w…

      TheConversationUS@newsie.socialMastodon12d ago8▲view on Mastodon ↗
  3. 1

    Georgia Tech publishes bacterial learning research in PRX Life

    Shiladitya Banerjee's lab at Georgia Institute of Technology releases research showing individual bacteria can learn from experience and store memories of past conditions. The study tracked tens of thousands of E. coli cells using microfluidic devices while switching nutrient supplies at different rates.

    “Research from my lab, published in the journal PRX Life, shows that even a single bacterium can learn from experience, store memories of the past and use those memories to prepare for the future.”
    — Shiladitya Banerjee
    1. 1 outlet Bacteria Store Memories Like Neural Networks

      first by Mirage News, 13d ago

Also covered reported alongside — the timeline has no entry for these yet

  1. 2 outlets Learning without a brain – how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks

    first by Mastodon, 11d ago · also The Conversation US

and 1 smaller piece