Scientists Discover That You Can Run 'Doom' On… Bacteria Cells?
But it would take 600 years to finish playing it.
By Syazwan Bahri - 07 Feb 2024, 05:50 AM
Cover image via The classic 1993 video game Doom is notorious for being able to run on almost anything
Image via Game With Toasty
Doom's legacy as a groundbreaking first-person shooter has cemented its status as a focal point of discussion within the gaming community. Fans have ported the 1993 first-person shooter on many unsuspecting devices. This ongoing creativity not only highlights the enduring appeal of the game, but also serves to keep it relevant in contemporary gaming culture.
Image via Game Rant
The game can be played on devices beyond your wildest imagination. For example, Doom can actually run on an e-cigarette, a pregnancy test, a treadmill, and more!
Check out the tweet below where Doom is actually running on a pregnancy test strip:
A scientist recently discovered that you can play Doom on… bacteria cells?
Lauren "Ren" Ramlan, a PhD student researcher in biotechnology at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has made waves in the gaming community with her groundbreaking achievement: she successfully programmed Doom to run on a display constructed from E. coli cells.
This remarkable feat, as reported by RockPaperShotgun, showcases the intersection of biology and technology in an unprecedented and innovative manner. Ramlan's work represents a significant advancement in the field of biocomputing and highlights the endless possibilities for creative exploration in the realm of gaming and scientific research.
Check out Doom running on bacteria cells in the YouTube video below:
"To run Doom, all one needs is a screen and willpower," wrote Ramlan in her paper.
"Ultimately, this begs the question of how biological systems might be engineered to host this classic millennial FPS," she added.
Here's how gaming on germs works:
According to Ramlan, the key to the project's success lies in programming E. coli cells to function as conventional pixels, capable of toggling between "on" or "off" states.
These cells must be able to collectively illuminate to form images, similar to a computer monitor or TV screen. To achieve this, Ramlan began by cultivating cells within a 32×48 1-bit well plate.
Then, she connected this makeshift screen to a controller equipped with the capability to process and interpret binary code. This controller then translates the binary instructions into commands that regulate the "addition or omission of a repressor controlling the fluorescence of the cells".
Essentially, Ramlan replaced the conventional light-emitting diodes found in a traditional screen with glowing bacterial cells, thereby simulating a screen.
Playing the game in its entirety will take approximately 600 years to finish
Ramlan's discovery has an interesting caveat: it requires approximately 70 minutes to fully illuminate and then another eight hours and 20 minutes to dim back to its original state. In total, this process takes around nine hours to display a single frame of the video game. Considering that the original Doom game runs at a maximum of 35 frames per second, it becomes apparent that playing through the entire game using Ramlan's setup would take an incredibly long time.
In fact, Ramlan's calculations estimate it would take approximately 599 years to complete the game. This staggering timeframe underscores the experimental nature of the project and the inherent challenges associated with pushing the boundaries of technology and biology in this manner.
