What if we could program living cells the same way we program computers? Ron Weiss, the MIT pioneer who helped create the field of synthetic biology, explains how he's moved beyond simple genetic circuits to building artificial neural networks inside living cells—and why this could revolutionize cancer treatment. In this episode, we delve deeper into programmable therapeutics and discuss:

• Why digital logic circuits hit a scalability wall in biology and how analog neural networks solve this

• The surprising discovery that artificial neural networks "speak the same language" as biological systems

• How RNA therapies can turn into programmable cancer-fighting machines

• Why the future of medicine involves cells that can learn and adapt their own therapeutic responses

Imagine diabetic patients with implanted cells that automatically produce insulin based on real-time glucose sensing, or vaccines that can reprogram themselves based on viral mutations they encounter. This is more than just better drugs—it’s a revolution at the intersection of computation and biology, where living systems become programmable technologies.