Particle.news

Download on the App Store

MIT Researcher Runs Doom on E. coli Bacteria Display

A single playthrough would take approximately 600 years due to the slow frame rate.

  • MIT biotechnology PhD student researcher Lauren 'Ren' Ramlan has created a display using E. coli bacteria to run the game Doom.
  • The display is a 32x48 1-bit monochromatic display that uses bacteria infused with a fluorescent protein, with each one effectively acting as a single pixel.
  • It takes 70 minutes for the cells to illuminate an image, and then another eight hours and 20 minutes to go dark so it could be reset for the next frame.
  • According to Ramlan's calculations, it would take around 600 years to complete an entire playthrough of Doom on the gut bacteria cells.
  • Despite the lengthy time to completion, Ramlan described the project as 'enjoyable' and a proof of concept that Doom can run on anything.
Hero image