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Mougkogiannis P, Adamatzky A. Thermosensory Spiking Activity of Proteinoid Microspheres Cross-Linked by Actin Filaments. LANGMUIR : THE ACS JOURNAL OF SURFACES AND COLLOIDS 2024; 40:12649-12670. [PMID: 38837748 PMCID: PMC11191697 DOI: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.4c01107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2024] [Revised: 05/24/2024] [Accepted: 05/27/2024] [Indexed: 06/07/2024]
Abstract
Actin, found in all eukaryotic cells as globular (G) or filamentous (F) actin, undergoes polymerization, with G-actin units changing shape to become F-actin. Thermal proteins, or proteinoids, are created by heating amino acids (160-200 °C), forming polymeric chains. These proteinoids can swell in an aqueous solution at around 50 °C, producing hollow microspheres filled with a solution, exhibiting voltage spikes. Our research explores the signaling properties of proteinoids, actin filaments, and hybrid networks combining actin and proteinoids. Proteinoids replicate brain excitation dynamics despite lacking specific membranes or ion channels. We investigate enhancing conductivity and spiking by using pure actin, yielding improved coordination in networks compared with individual filaments or proteinoids. Temperature changes (20 short-peptide supramolecular C to 80 °C) regulate conduction states, demonstrating external control over emergent excitability in protobrain systems. Adding actin to proteinoids reduces spike timing variability, providing a more uniform feature distribution. These findings support theoretical models proposing cytoskeletal matrices for functional specification in synthetic protocell brains, promoting stable interaction complexity. The study concludes that life-like signal encoding can emerge spontaneously within biological polymer scaffolds, incorporating abiotic chemistry.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew Adamatzky
- Unconventional Computing
Laboratory, UWE Bristol, Bristol BS16 1QY, U.K.
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Roberts N, Raeisi Kheirabadi N, Tsompanas MA, Chiolerio A, Crepaldi M, Adamatzky A. Logical circuits in colloids. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:231939. [PMID: 39076794 PMCID: PMC11285612 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/12/2024] [Revised: 03/01/2024] [Accepted: 03/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/31/2024]
Abstract
Colloid-based computing devices offer remarkable fault tolerance and adaptability to varying environmental conditions due to their amorphous structure. An intriguing observation is that a colloidal suspension of ZnO nanoparticles in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) exhibits reconfiguration when exposed to electrical stimulation and produces spikes of electrical potential in response. This study presents a novel laboratory prototype of a ZnO colloidal computer, showcasing its capability to implement various Boolean functions featuring two, four and eight inputs. During our experiments, we input binary strings into the colloid mixture, where a logical 'True' state is represented by an impulse of an electrical potential. In contrast, the absence of the electrical impulse denotes a logical 'False' state. The electrical responses of the colloid mixture are recorded, allowing us to extract truth tables from the recordings. Through this methodological approach, we demonstrate the successful implementation of a wide range of logical functions using colloidal mixtures. We provide detailed distributions of the logical functions discovered and offer speculation on the potential impacts of our findings on future and emerging unconventional computing technologies. This research highlights the exciting possibilities of colloid-based computing and paves the way for further advancements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nic Roberts
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, UWE, Bristol, UK
- Department of Engineering and Technology, University of Huddersfield, Huddersfield, UK
| | | | | | - Alessandro Chiolerio
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, UWE, Bristol, UK
- Center for Bioinspired Soft Robotics, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
| | - Marco Crepaldi
- Electronic Design Laboratory, Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia, Genova, Italy
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Nikolaidou A, Phillips N, Tsompanas MA, Adamatzky A. Responsive fungal insoles for pressure detection. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4595. [PMID: 36944797 PMCID: PMC10030783 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31594-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Accepted: 03/14/2023] [Indexed: 03/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Mycelium bound composites are promising materials for a diverse range of applications including wearables and building elements. Their functionality surpasses some of the capabilities of traditionally passive materials, such as synthetic fibres, reconstituted cellulose fibres and natural fibres. Thereby, creating novel propositions including augmented functionality (sensory) and aesthetic (personal fashion). Biomaterials can offer multiple modal sensing capability such as mechanical loading (compressive and tensile) and moisture content. To assess the sensing potential of fungal insoles we undertook laboratory experiments on electrical response of bespoke insoles made from capillary matting colonised with oyster fungi Pleurotus ostreatus to compressive stress which mimics human loading when standing and walking. We have shown changes in electrical activity with compressive loading. The results advance the development of intelligent sensing insoles which are a building block towards more generic reactive fungal wearables. Using FitzHugh-Nagumo model we numerically illustrated how excitation wave-fronts behave in a mycelium network colonising an insole and shown that it may be possible to discern pressure points from the mycelium electrical activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Nikolaidou
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, UWE, Bristol, UK.
- Department of Architecture, UWE, Bristol, UK.
| | - Neil Phillips
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, UWE, Bristol, UK
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Spukti FF, Schnauß J. Large and stable: actin aster networks formed via entropic forces. Front Chem 2022; 10:899478. [PMID: 36118308 PMCID: PMC9481034 DOI: 10.3389/fchem.2022.899478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Biopolymer networks play a major role as part of the cytoskeleton. They provide stable structures and act as a medium for signal transport. These features encourage the application of such networks as organic computation devices. While research on this topic is not advanced yet, previous results are very promising. The protein actin in particular appears advantageous. It can be arranged to various stable structures and transmit several signals. In this study aster shaped networks were self-assembled via entropic forces by the crowding agent methyl cellulose. These networks are characterised by a regular and uniquely thick bundle structure, but have so far only been accounted in droplets of 100 μm diameter. We report now regular asters in an area of a few mm2 that could be observed even after months. Such stability outside of an organism is striking and underlines the great potential actin aster networks display.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jörg Schnauß
- Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany.,Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology, Leipzig, Germany.,Unconventional Computing Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
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Adamatzky A. Towards proteinoid computers. Hypothesis paper. Biosystems 2021; 208:104480. [PMID: 34265376 DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2021.104480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/23/2021] [Revised: 07/03/2021] [Accepted: 07/05/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
Proteinoids - thermal proteins - are produced by heating amino acids to their melting point and initiation of polymerisation to produce polymeric chains. Proteinoids swell in aqueous solution into hollow microspheres. The proteinoid microspheres produce endogenous burst of electrical potential spikes and change patterns of their electrical activity in response to illumination. The microspheres can interconnect by pores and tubes and form networks with a programmable growth. We speculate on how ensembles of the proteinoid microspheres can be developed into unconventional computing devices.
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Siccardi S, Adamatzky A, Tuszyński J, Huber F, Schnauß J. Actin networks voltage circuits. Phys Rev E 2020; 101:052314. [PMID: 32575228 DOI: 10.1103/physreve.101.052314] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Filaments of the cellular protein actin can form bundles, which can conduct ionic currents as well as mechanical and voltage solitons. These inherent properties can be utilized to generate computing circuits solely based on self-assembled actin bundle structures. Starting with experimentally observed networks of actin bundles, we model their network structure in terms of edges and nodes. We compute and discuss the main electrical parameters, considering the bundles as electrical wires with either low or high filament densities. A set of equations describing the network is solved with several initial conditions. Input voltages, which can be considered as information bits, are applied in a set of points and output voltages are computed in another set of positions. We consider both an idealized situation, where pointlike electrodes can be inserted in any points of the bundles and a more realistic case, where electrodes lay on a surface and have typical dimensions available in the industry. We find that in both cases such a system can implement the main logical gates and a finite state machine.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Siccardi
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Andrew Adamatzky
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom
| | - Jack Tuszyński
- Department of Oncology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada AB T6G 1Z2 and DIMEAS, Politecnico di Torino, Corso Duca degli Abruzzi 24, 10129, TO, Turin, Italy
| | - Florian Huber
- Netherlands eScience Center, Science Park 140, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Jörg Schnauß
- Soft Matter Physics Division, Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Science, Leipzig University, Germany and Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), DNA Nanodevices Group, Leipzig, Germany
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Adamatzky A, Tegelaar M, Wosten HA, Powell AL, Beasley AE, Mayne R. On Boolean gates in fungal colony. Biosystems 2020; 193-194:104138. [DOI: 10.1016/j.biosystems.2020.104138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 03/27/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Adamatzky A, Schnauß J, Huber F. Actin droplet machine. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:191135. [PMID: 31903204 PMCID: PMC6936293 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.191135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2019] [Accepted: 11/04/2019] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The actin droplet machine is a computer model of a three-dimensional network of actin bundles developed in a droplet of a physiological solution, which implements mappings of sets of binary strings. The actin bundle network is conductive to travelling excitations, i.e. impulses. The machine is interfaced with an arbitrary selected set of k electrodes through which stimuli, binary strings of length k represented by impulses generated on the electrodes, are applied and responses are recorded. The responses are recorded in a form of impulses and then converted to binary strings. The machine's state is a binary string of length k: if there is an impulse recorded on the ith electrode, there is a '1' in the ith position of the string, and '0' otherwise. We present a design of the machine and analyse its state transition graphs. We envisage that actin droplet machines could form an elementary processor of future massive parallel computers made from biopolymers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Adamatzky
- Unconventional Computing Laboratory, Department of Computer Science, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Jörg Schnauß
- Soft Matter Physics Division, Peter Debye Institute for Soft Matter Physics, Faculty of Physics and Earth Sciences, Leipzig University, Germany & Fraunhofer Institute for Cell Therapy and Immunology (IZI), DNA Nanodevices Unit, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Florian Huber
- Netherlands eScience Center, Science Park 140, 1098 XG Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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