Learning without a brain - how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks
Researchers have discovered that single-celled bacteria like E. coli can store memories and learn from past environmental changes to inform future behavior. This process, which functions similarly to artificial neural networks, allows bacteria to adapt to fluctuating conditions in their environment.
Why it matters
Understanding how simple organisms process information challenges traditional definitions of learning and provides insights into biological information processing.
E. coli uses memories of the past to inform its present behavior. Cavallini JamesBSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Learning without a brain – how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks Published: September 10, 2026 8:44am EDT https://theconversation.com/learning-without-a-brain-how-bacteria-store-memories-and-remember-the-past-like-artificial-neural-networks-288782 https://theconversation.com/learning-without-a-brain-how-bacteria-store-memories-and-remember-the-past-like-artificial-neural-networks-288782 Link copied Share article Share article
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Learning is often thought to require a brain . But learning is a broad concept that does not necessarily depend on neurons .
If an organism uses information from past experiences to shape its future decisions, it is also learning.
Research from my lab, published in the journal PRX Life, shows that even a single bacterium can learn from experience, store memories of the past and use those memories to prepare for the future.
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