Researchers at Columbia University Medical Center have converted a bacterial immune system, known as CRISPR-Cas, into a microscopic data recorder. This new technology will allow scientists and clinicians to use bacterial cells for disease diagnosis and environmental monitoring.
Researchers modified a ubiquitous strain of E. coli isolated from the human gut, to record and time stamp interactions of the bacteria with the environment. For example, a patient may swallow the modified bacteria which could potentially record the changes it experiences while traveling through the digestive tract without making any disruptions itself.
Source: Columbia University Medical Center