Can flashy technology directly influence the regulation of hormones within your body and mind? By the year 2035, a myriad of options had emerged on the market. Morning pick-me-ups? Do you stimulate desire when you settle down for the night? Or perhaps a period of immunity to discomfort? It’s all now within reach.

This innovation began in 2027, when daily treatments for severe surface and internal abrasions were developed within a living dressing. This dressing belonged to a class of engineered Biological Materials (ELM) that produce enzymes and antibiotics to expedite healing.

ELM is also utilized in the production of fermented beverage kombucha, inspired by the biofilm that can form in vinegar. Known as the “mother” layer, biofilms are living substances and symbiotic cultures of bacteria and yeast (Scoby). In vinegar, Scoby transforms alcohol into acetic acid, while in kombucha, it generates acetic acid and other compounds from sweetened tea. However, crafting unique synthetic scobies (sin-sobies) with gene-edited yeasts and bacteria can generate the essential enzymes, nutrients, and hormones. In 2021, a team from Imperial College London developed programmable Scobys using Baker’s yeast, easily modified to produce various compounds.

The first widely adopted Syn-Scoby was a medical material, stored in a dormant state within emergency kits and surgical units. When required, the material, now referred to as the Heal Me patch, is extracted and applied to the affected area. Once exposed to oxygen, the yeast is reactivated to convert its cellulose matrix into the necessary compounds. These include protein-degrading enzymes that swiftly dismantle dead and damaged tissues, alongside other enzymes that mitigate pain and inflammation, thereby accelerating recovery.

Following successful medical applications, Syn-Scobys were devised in the 2030s for numerous uses, extending from contaminant detection in the environment to delivering vital nutrients, enzymes, and hormones. Syn-Scobys replaced the bionic pancreas utilized by individuals with type 1 diabetes for insulin production and blood glucose control. Other variants emitted a luminescent protein upon identifying specific contaminants, metals, or pathogens in the surroundings.

Military researchers created patches that produce adrenaline and testosterone to alleviate pain and enhance aggression. However, Heal Me patches had direct access to the bloodstream via human wounds, exposing the compounds to digestive enzymes before absorption. To counter this, scientists engineered patches intended to be implanted in the thighs or abdomen. When soldiers required a boost, an activating enzyme was injected at the implant site. This initiating enzyme activates the Syn-Scoby within the patch and releases the desired compounds into the bloodstream.

Customized living implants can be triggered as needed to amplify focus, aggression, endurance, and pain resistance. Recreational Synscobi is designed to generate stimulants, psychedelics, and libido enhancers.

The array of embedded patches is now available for immediate use. They secrete leptin to mimic solid leptin and inhibit ghrelin, which triggers hunger. Another variant allows live implants to produce semaglutide drugs such as Mounjaro, Wegovy, and Ozempic to suppress the urge to eat or drink, focusing on generating drugs like modafinil and oxiracetam that enhance cognitive function and memory retention.

For recreational purposes, psychoactive compounds like psilocybin are secreted, easily synthesized from gene-edited yeast. Users are filled with oxytocin and serotonin, fostering feelings of love, joy, and sexual desire. Dream Me facilitates controllable dreaming and stages of restful sleep, offering two options: Lucid and Black Out.

The most exclusive and sought-after implant was the Juve Me series, which generated various anti-aging compounds known as cytopathy and gathered senomorphic substances such as rapamycin and metformin that clear senescent cells and rejuvenate aged cells. Unlike many other ELMs, which have a temporary existence within the body before being metabolized, Juve Me implants were purposefully designed to be self-sustaining. It represents a symbiotic being living harmoniously within a fortunate individual, supplying nutrients essential for the implant’s longevity and vitality.

Hat Tips for Iain M. Banks’s culture The novels serve as inspiration for my symbiotic implants, which align with the bank’s concept of “Granding.”

Rowan Hooper is the podcast editor for New Scientist and author of How to Spend $1 Trillion: These are 10 global issues that can realistically be addressed. Follow him on Bluesky @rowhoop.bsky.social