Synthesizing cellular intelligence and artificial intelligence for bioprocesses

Microbial processes operated under realistic conditions are difficult to describe by mechanistic models, thereby limiting their optimization and control. Responses of living cells to their environment suggest that they possess some “innate intelligence”. Such responses have been modeled by a cybernetic approach. Furthermore, the overall behavior of a bioreactor containing a population of cells may be described and controlled through artificial intelligence methods. Therefore, it seems logical to combine cybernetic models with artificial intelligence to evolve an integrated intelligence-based strategy that is physiologically more faithful than the current approaches. This possibility is discussed, together with practical considerations favoring a hybrid approach that includes some mathematical modeling.