Transfer Functions of Proteinoid Microspheres

TL;DR

This paper investigates the transfer functions of proteinoid microspheres, revealing their complex data-transfer properties and potential for use in unconventional computing and artificial brain design.

Contribution

It provides the first analysis of the transfer functions of proteinoid microspheres, highlighting their unique electrical properties for future electronic applications.

Findings

Proteinoid microspheres exhibit nontrivial transfer functions.

Their data transfer capabilities are influenced by their diverse shapes and sizes.

Potential applications in artificial brains and unconventional computing are suggested.

Abstract

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are inorganic entities formed by heating amino acids to their melting point and commencing polymerisation to form polymeric chains. Typically, their diameters range from 10 to 100 micron. Some amino acids incorporated into proteinoid chains are more hydrophobic than others, leading proteinoids to cluster together when they are present in aqueous solutions at specific concentrations, allowing them to grow into microspheres. The peculiar structure of proteinoids composed of linked amino acids endows them with unique properties, including action-potential like spiking of electrical potential. These unique properties make ensembles of proteinoid microspheres a promising substrate for designing future artificial brains and unconventional computing devices. To evaluate a potential of proteinoid microspheres for unconventional electronic devices we measure and analyse the data-transfer capacities of proteinoid microspheres. In experimental laboratory conditions we demonstrate that the transfer function of proteinoids microspheres is a nontrivial phenomenon, which might be due to the wide range of proteinoid shapes, sizes, and structures.