Slime mould electronic oscillators

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that acellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum can be used to create a biological electronic oscillator, with measurable resistance oscillations driven by its contractile activity, suggesting potential applications in bio-hybrid circuits.

Contribution

The study introduces a novel biological oscillator based on slime mould, providing experimental data on its electrical dynamics and potential for integration into bio-electronic systems.

Findings

Resistance oscillates with a 73 sec period

Resistance amplitude averages 0.6 MOhm

Oscillator operates under up to 15 V DC

Abstract

We construct electronic oscillator from acellular slime mould Physarum polycephalum. The slime mould oscillator is made of two electrodes connected by a protoplasmic tube of the living slime mould. A protoplasmic tube has an average resistance of 3~MOhm. The tube's resistance is changing over time due to peristaltic contractile activity of the tube. The resistance of the protoplasmic tube oscillates with average period of 73~sec and average amplitude of 0.6~MOhm. We present experimental laboratory results on dynamics of Physarum oscillator under direct current voltage up to 15~V and speculate that slime mould P. polycephalum can be employed as a living electrical oscillator in biological and hybrid circuits.