On hybrid circuits exploiting thermistive properties of slime mould

TL;DR

This paper explores the use of slime mould Physarum polycephalum as a bio-hybrid thermic switch to create simple electronic components like summators and logic gates, demonstrating reliable bio-electronic computing elements.

Contribution

It introduces a novel bio-hybrid circuit leveraging slime mould's thermic switching properties for computing applications, which is a new approach in bio-electronic circuitry.

Findings

Slime mould resistance increases from 3 MΩ to 10,000 MΩ at 40°C.

Bio-hybrid circuits exhibit high repeatability and low propagation delays.

Demonstrated basic logic gates and flip-flops using slime mould as a thermic switch.

Abstract

Slime mould Physarum polycephalum is a single cell visible by unaided eye. Let the slime mould span two electrodes with a single protoplasmic tube: if the tube is heated to approximately 40{\deg}C, the electrical resistance of the protoplasmic tube increases from 3 M{\Omega} to approximatively 10'000 M{\Omega}. The organism's resistance is not proportional nor correlated to the temperature of its environment. Slime mould can therefore not be considered as a thermistor but rather as a thermic switch. We employ the P. polycephalum thermic switch to prototype hybrid electrical analog summator, NAND gates, and cascade the gates into Flip-Flop latch. Computing operations performed on this bio-hybrid computing circuitry feature high repeatability, reproducibility and comparably low propagation delays