Unconventional Computing Lab, University of the West of England, Bristol, United Kingdom.
PLoS One. 2023 Sep 18;18(9):e0289433. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0289433. eCollection 2023.
Proteinoids are thermal proteins which swell into microspheres in aqueous solution. Ensembles of proteinoids produce electrical spiking activity similar to that of neurons. We introduce a novel method for implementing logical gates in the ensembles of proteinoid microspheres using chronoamperometry. Chronoamperometry is a technique that involves applying a voltage pulse to proteinoid microspheres and measuring their current response. We have observed that proteinoids exhibit distinct current patterns that align with various logical outputs. We identify four types of logical gates: AND, OR, XOR, and NAND. These gates are determined by the current response of proteinoid microspheres. Additionally, we demonstrate that proteinoid microspheres have the ability to modify their current response over time, which is influenced by their previous exposure to voltage. This indicates that they possess a capacity for learning and are capable of adapting to their environment. Our research showcases the ability of proteinoid microspheres to perform logical operations and computations through their inherent electrical properties.
类蛋白是在水溶液中膨胀成微球的热蛋白质。类蛋白集合体产生类似于神经元的电尖峰活动。我们引入了一种使用计时安培法在类蛋白微球集合体中实现逻辑门的新方法。计时安培法是一种涉及向类蛋白微球施加电压脉冲并测量其电流响应的技术。我们已经观察到类蛋白表现出与各种逻辑输出一致的独特电流模式。我们确定了四种类型的逻辑门：与门、或门、异或门和与非门。这些门是由类蛋白微球的电流响应决定的。此外，我们证明类蛋白微球能够随着时间的推移改变其电流响应，这受到它们之前暴露于电压的影响。这表明它们具有学习能力，并能够适应其环境。我们的研究展示了类蛋白微球通过其固有电特性执行逻辑运算和计算的能力。
