Learning without a brain - how bacteria store memories and remember the past like artificial neural networks

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.