Method, system, and apparatus for virtual modeling of biological tissue with adaptive emergent functionality

A suitably programmed computer system having a processor and memory for modeling virtual biological tissue, comprising:

• a first means for
• receiving modeling information, wherein the modeling information includes one or more virtual environmental parameters and one or more virtual genes, and wherein the one or more virtual genes define one or more distinct virtual genomes;
• generating a virtual environment based on the environmental parameters, and generating one or more virtual cells in the virtual environment, the one or more virtual cells each comprising an individual distinct virtual genome, wherein the individual distinct virtual genome is configured to interact with the virtual environment, and wherein the individual distinct virtual genome and the environmental parameters are configured to be modified by genetic operations;
• and
• developing multicellular individuals from the one or more virtual cells, according to biological primitives specified by each distinct virtual genome, during exposure to the virtual environment;
• a second means for
• evaluating and selecting multicellular individuals according to fitness criteria;
• and
• modifying at least one of the distinct virtual genomes of the selected multicellular individuals and one or more virtual environmental parameters to develop a next generation of the multicellular individuals;
• and
• a third means for evaluating a behavior of each of the next generation of multicellular individuals and identifying next generation multicellular individuals that exhibit adaptive emergent functionality in response to a stimulus;
• wherein the first, second and third means are implemented as instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor.

An apparatus for modeling virtual biological tissue, the apparatus comprising:

• a processor;
• a memory for data and programming instruction storage;
• programming instructions stored in the memory for execution by the processor, wherein the programming instructions, if executed by the processor, cause the processor to
• generate a virtual environment and a population of virtual cells, the virtual cells each comprising a configurable virtual genome, wherein the configurable virtual genome is configured to interact with the virtual environment, and wherein the configurable virtual genome and the virtual environment are configured to be modified by genetic operations;
• run an ontogeny engine to develop multicellular individuals from individual virtual cells in the population of virtual cells according to biological primitives specified by each configurable virtual genome during exposure to the virtual environment;
• run an evolutionary engine to conduct an evolutionary search, wherein the evolutionary search includes evaluating and selecting multicellular individuals according to fitness criteria;
• run the evolutionary engine to modify at least one of the configurable virtual genomes of one or more of the selected multicellular individuals and the virtual environment;
• run the ontogeny engine to develop a next generation of multicellular individuals;
• and
• evaluate a behavior of each of the next generation of multicellular individuals and identify next generation multicellular individuals that exhibit adaptive emergent functionality in response to a stimulus;
• and
• an output device for communicating data relating to the identified next generation multicellular individuals.