Biohybrid Computing with Proteinoids and Algae

Proteinoids, or thermal proteinoids, are produced by heating amino-acids. When placed in water, proteinoids swell into microspheres which produce neuron-like spikes of electrical potential. This study combines proteinoid microspheres with Emiliania huxleyi algae to create advanced bioelectronic signal processing systems with neuromorphic characteristics. The morphologies of L-Glu:L-Phe proteinoid microspheres and their interactions with algae are studied using scanning electron microscopy, revealing complex structures with budding forms and traits of self-assembly. Electrical measurements demonstrate that both pure algae and algae-proteinoid mixtures generate spontaneous oscillations with unique amplitude and frequency patterns across different recording channels. The algae-proteinoid mixture exhibits a broad range of oscillatory dynamics with amplitudes varying from 25.49 to 191.42 mV and periods ranging from 251.92 to 5471.01 s. These oscillatory behaviors are utilized to perform Boolean logic operations, through post-processing of biological signals rather than autonomous computing, with pure algae systems showing superior performance for direct gates (AND, OR) while the mixture excels at inverse gates (NAND, NOR). Temperature and pH emerge as critical factors controlling oscillatory dynamics. The findings indicate that algae-proteinoid electrochemical systems represent a step toward biohybrid computing and offer a sustainable and biocompatible alternative for unconventional computing, providing enhanced signal stability, environmental resilience, and more effective information processing compared to traditional electronic systems while acknowledging current limitations in autonomous learning capabilities.