In a synthetic biology class project, E. coli bacteria were modeled as fluorescent pixels for displaying Doom—not used to compute or run the game. Doom ran on an ordinary computer, while a simulated bacterial grid represented its images. The distinction matters: the project described a proposed biological display, not a functioning screen or a playable bacterial computer.
What “Doom on gut bacteria” actually means
The project, titled “1-Bit Pixels Encoded in E. Coli for the Display of Interactive Digital Media,” explored using genetically controlled fluorescent protein as a display output. A computer would render Doom frames, reduce them to black-and-white bitmaps, and map those bits onto a grid of cells. The bacteria were intended to act as display pixels; the game’s computation stayed on conventional hardware.
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Ars Technica’s 2024 account describes the bacterial-grid output as simulated. It does not report a functioning living display or an observed Doom playthrough. The project is therefore best understood as a model of how synthetic-biology control might represent digital images, not as Doom running inside bacteria.
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How the modeled bacterial display worked
A 32 × 48 one-bit grid
The modeled display had 32 rows and 48 columns: 1,536 pixels in total. Each pixel had one of two states, corresponding to a black-and-white image rather than the color and tonal range of an OLED or Mini LED panel. A chemical repressor-operator pair would control whether individual cells expressed fluorescent protein.
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From a game frame to fluorescent output
- Render: A conventional computer produces a Doom frame.
- Convert: The frame is reduced to a black-and-white bitmap sized for the 32 × 48 grid.
- Map: Bitmap pixels are translated into control signals for individual cells.
- Display: Cells express fluorescent protein or do not, forming the modeled image.
The report discusses a standard 32 × 48 microwell grid as labware context. That does not establish a ready-made bacterial-display kit or verify a particular supplier model’s compatibility.
Why the modeled refresh rate was so slow
The timing figures come from a Python model attributed to Ramlan’s project and reported by Ars Technica in 2024; they are not measurements from a working display.
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| Modeled behavior | Reported timing | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Reach peak display output | 70 minutes | The model’s time to reach its peak output. |
| Return approximately to starting state | About 8 hours 20 minutes | The modeled reset time. |
| Frame rate | 0.00003 frames per second | The modeled rate reported for the display. |
| Hypothetical five-hour Doom run | 599 years | A playful extrapolation from the modeled rate, not an observed playthrough. |
Those delays make the concept a poor fit for interactive gaming. They are also a reminder that a biological output medium responds on a very different timescale from an electronic display.
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What the project demonstrates—and what it does not
- It demonstrates as a model: A proposal for representing one-bit digital images using genetically controlled fluorescent cells.
- It does not demonstrate: Doom computation inside E. coli, a functioning bacterial screen, or a measured live-display refresh rate.
- It is not a practical screen substitute: The modeled grid’s resolution and update/reset times do not make it a replacement for OLED or Mini LED displays.
Ars Technica attributes this line to Ramlan’s project paper: “To run Doom, all one needs is a screen and willpower.” In this case, the “screen” was an idea modeled in code, not a demonstrated bacterial device.
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Read Ars Technica’s account of the project, which links to the student write-up and code.
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