Cyclic voltammetry of volatile memristors in the Venus flytrap: short-term memory

Mem-fractive properties of mushrooms

Memristors close the loop forI-Vcharacteristics of the traditional, passive, semi-conductor devices. A memristor is a physical realisation of the material implication and thus is a universal logical element. Memristors are getting particular interest in the field of bioelectronics. Electrical properties of living substrates are not binary and there is nearly a continuous transitions from being non-memristive to mem-fractive (exhibiting a combination of passive memory) to ideally memristive. In laboratory experiments we show that living oyster mushroomsPleurotus ostreatusexhibit mem-fractive properties. We offer a piece-wise polynomial approximation of theI-Vbehaviour of the oyster mushrooms. We also report spiking activity, oscillations in conduced current of the oyster mushrooms.

Cold atmospheric pressure He-plasma jet and plasma ball interactions with the Venus flytrap: Electrophysiology and side effects

Cold atmospheric pressure radio frequency plasma (CAPP) can play an important role in agriculture, medicine, biophysical and bioelectrochemical applications, disinfection and sterilization, synthesis of different compounds, nitrogen fixation, and treatment of surfaces. Here we found that reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, UV-Vis photons, and high-frequency strong electromagnetic fields with an amplitude of a few kV produced by a cold plasma jet can interact with bio-tissue and damage it if the plasma treatment is long enough. The electrophysiological effects of CAPP treatment of bio-tissue and electrical signals transmission were measured in the Venus flytrap. The plasma ball does not produce any visible side effects on the Venus flytrap, but induces electrical signals in bio-tissue with very high amplitude. Plasma (Kirlian) photography shows the existence of a blue aura around the plasma ball due to a corona discharge. Understanding the mechanisms of interactions between CAPP and bio-tissue and preventing side effects can contribute to the application of plasma technology in medicine and agriculture. The use of cold plasma in medicine and agriculture should be monitored for side effects from strong high-frequency electro-magnetic fields, UV photons, and reactive oxygen and nitrogen species to protect against undesirable consequences.