Spiking Neurons Derived from Proteinoid and Bacteriorhodopsin

We investigate proteinoid-bacteriorhodopsin complexes as biomolecular spiking neurons for neuromorphic computing applications. Our system shows strong photoresponsive behavior through the integration of bacteriorhodopsin with self-assembled proteinoid structures. Measurements show that proteinoid-bacteriorhodopsin complexes have greater electrical activity (10.77 ± 2.21 mV) than proteinoids alone (4.34 ± 4.47 mV). The complexes have wavelength-dependent responses to 5 Hz optical stimulation. Green light (λ ≈ 520 nm) produced the strongest amplitude (7.31 ± 1.49 mV). Temporal analysis shows a consistent periodicity (τ ≈ 645 s) across wavelengths. This indicates stable oscillatory mechanisms. Random walk computations show distinct spatiotemporal patterns, suggesting potential applications in light-controlled molecular computing. These findings demonstrate that proteinoid-bacteriorhodopsin complexes are promising candidates for bioinspired computing and offer possibilities for developing biomolecular information systems.