Biomolecular Neuristors from Functionalized Lipid Membranes

Modeled after biological neurons, neuristors are emerging hardware that generate recurring voltage spikes in response to electrical stimulation. This type of excitability could enable transistor-free spiking neural networks for efficient signal processing and computing. Yet, prior neuristors consist of circuits containing numerous devices, thus complicating fabrication and increasing size, power usage, and cost. In contrast, we show that a single, 5nm-thick lipid membrane functionalized with voltage-activated peptides functions as a two-terminal, ultra-low power (fW-pW) artificial neuristor in response to supplied current. Specifically, the biomolecular membrane generates stochastic voltage oscillations (10-150 mV) in response to DC currents (|5-40| pA), and is capable of generating two distinct types of action potentials - <i>fast</i> (~1-50 ms) and <i>slow</i> (~1-2 s) spikes via distinct physical mechanisms. This discovery showcases the inherent multifunctionality and modularity of engineered biomembranes, and it contributes to an expanding suite of ionic and biomolecular devices designed with synapse and neuron functionalities for emerging computing architectures.