Biohybrid Computing with Proteinoids and Algae

Area of Science:

• Biophysics
• Bioelectronics
• Computational Biology

Background:

• Proteinoids, derived from heated amino acids, form microspheres exhibiting neuron-like electrical potential spikes.
• Emiliania huxleyi algae possess inherent oscillatory electrical properties.
• Combining biological and synthetic components offers a pathway to novel computing paradigms.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the integration of proteinoid microspheres with Emiliania huxleyi algae for bioelectronic signal processing.
• To characterize the neuromorphic potential of these algae-proteinoid biohybrid systems.
• To explore the application of these systems in performing Boolean logic operations.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis and characterization of L-Glu:L-Phe proteinoid microspheres.
• Scanning electron microscopy to study microsphere morphology and algae-proteinoid interactions.
• Electrical measurements of spontaneous oscillations in pure algae and algae-proteinoid mixtures.
• Post-processing analysis of biological signals to perform Boolean logic operations.

Main Results:

• Proteinoid microspheres exhibit complex structures and self-assembly traits when interacting with Emiliania huxleyi.
• Both algae and algae-proteinoid mixtures generate spontaneous electrical oscillations with distinct amplitude and frequency patterns.
• Algae-proteinoid systems successfully performed Boolean logic operations (AND, OR, NAND, NOR) via signal post-processing.
• Temperature and pH significantly influence the oscillatory dynamics of the biohybrid system.

Conclusions:

• Algae-proteinoid electrochemical systems represent a significant advancement in biohybrid computing.
• These systems offer a sustainable, biocompatible, and resilient alternative for unconventional computing.
• While demonstrating promise, current systems require further development for autonomous learning capabilities.