On the Computing Potential of Intracellular Vesicles.

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Computational Biology
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Collision-based computing (CBC) uses travelling localisations for data and collisions for logic operations.
• The slime mould Physarum polycephalum exhibits natural vesicle dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate intracellular vesicle dynamics in Physarum polycephalum as a form of collision-based computing.
• To demonstrate the computational universality of these natural phenomena.

Main Methods:

• Confocal microscopy was used to observe Ca2+-containing vesicle distribution and movement.
• Experimental observations characterized vesicle collisions (reflection, fusion, annihilation) as logical operations.
• A 'vesicle modification' of the billiard ball model of CBC was developed.

Main Results:

• Naturally-occurring vesicle dynamics in Physarum polycephalum were characterized as computationally-universal Boolean logic operations.
• The study presents a novel computational model based on vesicle behavior.
• Optimized designs for single logic gates and combinatorial logic circuits using intracellular vesicles were proposed.

Conclusions:

• Intracellular vesicles can function as a substrate for unconventional computing.
• Biological substrates offer a viable and novel platform for computing.
• This research pioneers the characterization of intracellular phenomena as collision-based computing.