Utilizing Neurons for Digital Logic Circuits: A Molecular Communications Analysis

TL;DR

This paper explores how engineered neurons can function as digital logic gates for bio-computing, analyzing their accuracy and potential to control neurological conditions like epilepsy through simulations.

Contribution

It introduces a novel approach to using synthetically engineered neurons as digital logic gates and evaluates their performance through computational modeling and simulations.

Findings

High firing rates improve logic gate accuracy

Simulations confirm correct logic operations under various conditions

Logic gates can reduce epileptic seizure activity

Abstract

With the advancement of synthetic biology, several new tools have been conceptualized over the years as alternative treatments for current medical procedures. Most of those applications are applied to various chronic diseases. This work investigates how synthetically engineered neurons can operate as digital logic gates that can be used towards bio-computing for the brain. We quantify the accuracy of logic gates under high firing rates amid a network of neurons and by how much it can smooth out uncontrolled neuronal firings. To test the efficacy of our method, simulations composed of computational models of neurons connected in a structure that represents a logic gate are performed. The simulations demonstrated the accuracy of performing the correct logic operation, and how specific properties such as the firing rate can play an important role in the accuracy. As part of the analysis, the Mean squared error is used to quantify the quality of our proposed model and predicting the accurate operation of a gate based on different sampling frequencies. As an application, the logic gates were used to trap epileptic seizures in a neuronal network, where the results demonstrated the effectiveness of reducing the firing rate. Our proposed system has the potential for computing numerous neurological conditions of the brain.