Groundbreaking research suggests that single cells may be able to learn without complex brains or nervous systems.
Researchers from the Center for Genomic Regulation (CRG) in Barcelona and Harvard Medical School in Boston have published their findings in Current Biology, which could impact future medical treatments by providing new insights into how diseases, such as cancer or bacteria, avoid treatment.
Rather than following pre-programmed genetic instructions, cells appear to have a basic form of decision-making that involves learning from their environment, said co-author Jeremy Gunawardena, an associate professor of systems biology at Harvard Medical School.
The study focused on ‘habituation’, a simple form of learning in which organisms respond less to repeated stimuli, such as ticking clocks or flashing lights.
This idea of single-celled organisms learning has been debated since the early 20th century. The current study builds on previous research and provides strong evidence that certain cells have learning capabilities.
“To learn, cells use internal molecular networks that perform functions similar to neurons in the brain,” says co-author Rosa Martinez of CRG.
In their research, the team examined biochemical reactions, such as adding or removing phosphate tags on proteins, that control cellular responses. They simulated these chemical interactions on a computer to test different scenarios.
The results showed that cells use negative feedback loops and incoherent feedforward loops: biological processes that allow them to learn and adapt over time.
The team discovered that cells exhibit a form of ‘memory’ that allows them to respond quickly and also influence future responses. This discovery could help bridge the gap between cognitive scientists and neuroscientists, providing a better understanding of how habituation works at the cellular level.
“Our approach can help us prioritize which experiments are most likely to yield valuable results, saving time and resources and leading to new breakthroughs,” say Martinez, highlighting the potential for addressing fundamental biological questions.
Although more research is needed, this work highlights the incredible adaptability of life on the smallest scales.
“We think it could be useful to answer many other fundamental questions,” Martinez said
