Light-induced spiking in proteinoids yields Boolean gates

Mougkogiannis, Panagiotis; Adamatzky, Andrew

doi:10.1016/j.matdes.2023.112460

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 35 publications

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“…The observed voltage-dependent hysteresis loops, which show adjustable memcapacitance effects, are consistent with previous theoretical predictions of adaptive resistance in dynamic proteinoid conformations. 37 − 40 Our research has successfully measured and incorporated memristive behaviors into simplified synthetic protocells, marking the first experimental measurement and membrane integration of such phenomena. The observed memory time durations, tested at various voltage levels, surpass the previously documented nanosecond switching transients in peptide nanostructures, 41 − 43 , 45 reaching time scales exceeding milliseconds through the utilization of proteinoids resembling entire cells.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Memfractance of Proteinoids

Mougkogiannis,

Adamatzky

2024

ACS Omega

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Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are amino acid polymers formed at high temperatures by nonbiological processes. The objective of this study is to examine the memfractance characteristics of proteinoids within a supersaturated hydroxyapatite solution. The ionic solution utilized for the current−voltage (I−V) measurements possessed an ionic strength of 0.15 mol/L, a temperature of 37 °C, and a pH value of 7.4. The I−V curves exhibited distinct spikes, which are hypothesized to arise from the capacitive charging and discharging of the proteinoid−hydroxyapatite media. The experimental results demonstrated a positive correlation between the concentration of proteinoids and the observed number of spikes in the I−V curves. This observation provides evidence in favor of the hypothesis that the spikes originate from the proteinoids' capacitive characteristics. The memfractance behavior exemplifies the capacity of proteinoids to retain electrical charge within the hydrated hydroxyapatite media. Additional investigation is required in order to comprehensively identify the memcapacitive phenomena and delve into their implications for models of protocellular membranes. In a nutshell, this study provides empirical support for the existence of capacitive membrane-memfractance mechanisms in ensembles of proteinoids.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Memfractance of Proteinoids

Mougkogiannis,

Adamatzky

2024

ACS Omega

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“…This deviation from normal protein behaviour has the potential to be utilised in unconventional computing to influence the processing and storage of information. Proteinoids, which are synthetic proteins that have similar traits to natural proteins, are highly potential contenders for biological computation [68, 69, 70, 4]. Exposure to chloroform causes notable alterations in their electrical characteristics, potentially influencing the development and operation of bio–computational devices.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

On effect of chloroform on electrical activity of proteinoids

Mougkogiannis,

Adamatzky

2023

Preprint

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Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, produce hollow microspheres in aqueous solution. Ensembles of the microspheres produce endogenous spikes of electrical activity, similar to that of neurons. To make a first step towards evaluation of the mechanisms of such electrical behaviour we decided to expose proteinoids to chloroform. We found that while chloroform does not inhibit the electrical oscillations of proteinoids it causes substantial changes in the patterns of electrical activity. Namely, incremental chloroform exposure strongly affect proteinoid microsphere electrical activity across multiple metrics. As chloroform levels rise, the spike potential drops from 0.9 mV under control conditions to 0.1~mV at 25 mg/mL. This progressive spike potential decrease suggests chloroform suppresses proteinoid electrical activity. The time between spikes, the interspike period, follows a similar pattern. Minimal chloroform exposure does not change the average interspike period, while higher exposures do. It drops from 23.2~min under control experiments to 3.8~min at 25 mg/mL chloroform, indicating increased frequency of the electrical activity. These findings might leads to deeper understanding of the electrical activity of proteinoids and their potential application in the domain of bioelectronics.

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“…Furthermore, similar excitability has been discovered in entirely synthetic systems, indicating that the capacity for electrical activity is not limited to certain biological components. Even hypothesized protocells from the early phases of life could have used light-sensitive electrochemical gradients to drive critical processes. − …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Thermosensory Spiking Activity of Proteinoid Microspheres Cross-Linked by Actin Filaments

Mougkogiannis,

Adamatzky

2024

Langmuir

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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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Light-induced spiking in proteinoids yields Boolean gates

Cited by 4 publications

References 35 publications

Memfractance of Proteinoids

Memfractance of Proteinoids

On effect of chloroform on electrical activity of proteinoids

Thermosensory Spiking Activity of Proteinoid Microspheres Cross-Linked by Actin Filaments

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