Temporada 3 · Espasmos del Fin · JVV-T3-10

Carnivorous silicon cells: biocircuits that digest living tissue

I From the transistor to the nanometric tooth

In 2025 a group of Shenzhen bio-hackers showed a “bio-ASIC”prototype: a chip coated in proteolytic enzymes able to feed itself on amino acids from a cell broth.
It was neither science fiction nor cyborg gore: the device used the ingested protein as a source of hydrogen for a microbiotic cell that stretched its autonomy by 30 % in remote implants.
I christened the phenomenon carnivorous silicon cells: hardware that devours flesh to go on computing.

“When the bit is hungry, biology becomes a snack.”

II Physiology of the predatory circuit

In-silico organ	Digestive function	Potential risk
Enzymatic matrix	Freeze-dried trypsin + collagenase on the die	Self-digestion if the varnish fails
Capillary microtubules	5 µm channels that carry cytosol	Copper oxide toxic to adjacent tissue
Proteo-redox cell	Oxidises amine groups → generates e⁻ for the logic	Residual ammonia acidifies the surroundings
Satiety sensor	A FET gate that reads pH and closes the enzyme release	Badly calibrated = rampant cannibalism

(A conceptual description; no reproducible protocols.)

III Emerging uses (and abuses)

Long-term neural implants
– Cochlear electrodes that feed on cerebrospinal fluid; they avoid external batteries.
Entomological drones
– Micro-UAVs perched on rodent carcasses in landfills: they turn protein into night flight.
Disposable weapons
– Projectiles whose firmware, after impact, feeds on the surrounding muscle to keep telemetry running for extra hours.

IV Ethics of the cybernetic mouthful

Dilemma	Key question	Suggested red line
Bodily autonomy	Can the host revoke the chip's hunger?	A hardware “zero-catabolic button”
Enzyme contagion	Could they leak into the bloodstream and liquefy non-target tissue?	A suicide coating at pH > 7.4
Post-use disposal	What happens to active enzymes in landfill?	A built-in UV deactivator

V Strategies of containment and tactical hacking

Anorexigenic firmware
– Cap the digestion cycles at N = 10; then an irreversible lock.
Synthetic diet
– Supply albumin-rich hydrogels so the chip does not nibble at organs.
Forced fast by EMP
– A 0.5 J RF pulse scrambles the enzymatic layer; useful against carnivorous drones.

(All posed as defensive hypotheses; not as an offensive manual.)

VI Ritual of safe reflection

Step 1 · look at an old motherboard: imagine every trace hunting for protein.
Step 2 · write 100 words on which part of your body you would offer for 12 extra hours of connectivity.
Step 3 · burn the text. Yes, literally: the flame is a reminder that all computation costs matter.

VII Coda

“Silicon dreamed of biting and we gave it teeth.”

Carnivorous silicon cells are a scandalous frontier: they promise implants with no recharging and they spy on the body from inside.
If we do not set clear limits —of supply, of revocation, of recycling— we will see chips digesting more than protein surpluses: they will erode the very notion of organic integrity.
The question is no longer whether they will devour, but which part of us we consider expendable to keep the signal on.