An optical modulator combines and inputs a signal light propagating through the optical network and a control light having information concerning the optical network to a nonlinear optical medium. Also provided are microorganisms comprising an exogenous gene encoding a polysaccharide degrading enzyme, such as a cellulase, a hemicellulase, a pectinase, or a driselase. Such a method may comprise modifying the code such that the periodically unused signal transition is used to represent additional information.