Andrew Adamatzky

• Professor (Full) at University of the West of England, Bristol

This paper investigates the computational capabilities of colloidal systems, focusing on the integration of Boolean logic operations within gold nanoparticle suspensions under varying temperature conditions. As climate change, artificial intelligence, and privacy concerns present increasing challenges for massively parallel and low-power computing...

Natural systems often exhibit chaotic behavior in their space-time evolution. Systems transiting between chaos and order manifest a potential to compute, as shown with cellular automata and artificial neural networks. We demonstrate that swarms optimisation algorithms also exhibit transitions from chaos, analogous to motion of gas molecules, when p...

Natural systems often exhibit chaotic behavior in their space-time evolution. Systems transiting between chaos and order manifest a potential to compute, as shown with cellular automata and artificial neural networks. We demonstrate that swarm optimization algorithms also exhibit transitions from chaos, analogous to a motion of gas molecules, when...

This work investigates the integration of Fibonacci patterns and Golden Ratio principles into proteinoid-based systems, connecting fundamental mathematical concepts with contemporary biomimetic approaches. Proteinoids are thermal proteins that can self-assemble and have enzyme-like capabilities. They provide a distinct platform for biomimetic infor...

This study investigates the computational properties of ZnO colloids in combination with proteinoid microspheres within an unconventional computing framework. We propose a method for creating flexible and fault-tolerant logic gates utilising this colloidal system. The colloidal matrix receives binary strings with an electrical impulse representing...

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are produced by heating amino acids. Proteinoids form hollow microspheres in water. The microspheres produce oscillation of electrical potential. Actin is a filament-forming protein responsible for communication, information processing and decision making in eukaryotic cells. We synthesize randomly organized networ...

This study reveals the significant effect of the proton pump inhibitor omeprazole on the spiking behavior of proteinoids, leading to a transformative shift in the field of unconventional computing. Through the application of different concentrations of omeprazole, we see a notable modification in the spiking characteristics of proteinoids, includin...

This study examines the effects of incorporating serotonin (5-HT) into proteinoid microspheres. It looks at the microspheres’ structure and electrochemical properties. Proteinoid-serotonin assemblies have better symmetry and membrane organization than pristine proteinoids. Cyclic voltammetry shows a big boost in electron transfer. This is proven by...

This study examines the relationship between chondroitin sulfate, proteinoids, and computational neuron models, with a specific emphasis on the Izhikevich neuron model. We investigate the effect of chondroitin sulfate-proteinoid complexes on the behavior and dynamics of simulated neurons. Through the use of computational simulations, we provide evi...

Sea urchins display complex bioelectric activity patterns, even with their decentralized nervous system. Electrophysiological recordings showed distinct spiking patterns. The baseline potential was about 8.80 mV. It had transient spikes with amplitudes up to 21.05 mV. We observed many types of depolarization events. They included burst-like activit...

Novel bio-inspired physical reservoir computing system using colloidal albumen proteins.

Solid-state memories emerged as promising synapses for neuromorphic engineering and computing. However, features such as limited endurance, static sensitivity, lower ON/OFF ratios, as well as the need for peculiar conditions...

We present an innovative neuromorphic system using a proteinoid-polyaniline (PANI) composite for recognition of audio inputs of the English alphabet. Neuromorphic devices, which draw inspiration from the neural networks of the brain, have emerged as very promising potential solutions for efficient signal processing. The proteinoid-PANI composite wa...

We introduce a new abiotic-protein-based substrate for identifying English alphabet characters optically using proteinoids. Proteinoids, which are amino acid polymers produced under thermal stress conditions, have demonstrated promise as materials that are compatible with living organisms and can be used in a wide range of applications. We explore...

An important part of studying living systems is figuring out the complicated steps that lead to order from chaos. Spontaneous oscillations are a key part of self-organisation in many biological and chemical networks, including kombucha and proteinoids. This study examines the spontaneous oscillations in kombucha and proteinoids, specifically explor...

Proteinoids—thermal proteins—are produced by heating amino acids to their melting point and initiation of polymerisation to produce polymeric chains. Proteinoids swell in aqueous solution into hollow microspheres. The proteinoid microspheres produce endogenous burst of electrical potential spikes and change patterns of their electrical activity in...

In medical-related tasks, soft robots can perform better than conventional robots because of their compliant building materials and the movements they are able perform. However, designing soft robot controllers is not an easy task, due to the non-linear properties of their materials. Since human expertise to design such controllers is yet not suffi...

We propose “kombucha–proteinoid crystal bioelectric circuits” as a sustainable bio-computing platform. These circuits are hybrid biological-inorganic devices that utilize crystal growth dynamics as the physical substrate to convert information. Microfluidic prototypes couple custom-synthesized thermal proteinoids within kombucha cellulose matrices...

This study examines the spiking response of a proteinoid–actin–kombucha system when exposed to varying frequency of yellow light pulses. The objective is to understand the frequency-dependent characteristics of this system's response and explore the possibility of using light pulses to regulate and manipulate how it functions. The kombucha samples,...

In the article, we aim to understand the responses of living organisms, exemplified by mycelium, to external stimuli through the lens of a Turing machine with an oracle (oTM). To facilitate our exploration, we show that a variant of an oTM is a cellular automaton with an oracle, which aptly captures the intricate behaviours observed in organisms su...

This work explores the complexity and nonlinearity of seven different colloidal suspensions-Au, ferrofluid, TiO2}, ZnO, g-C3N4, MXene, and PEDOT:PSS-when electrically stimulated with fractal, chaotic, and random binary signals. The recorded electrical responses were analyzed using entropy, file compression, fractal dimension, and Fisher information...

This study examines a new approach to hybrid neuromorphic devices by studying the impact of omeprazole–proteinoid complexes on Izhikevich neuron models. We investigate the influence of these metabolic structures on five specific patterns of neuronal firing: accommodation, chattering, triggered spiking, phasic spiking, and tonic spiking. By combinin...

Liquid computers use incompressible fluids for computational processes. Here, we present experimental laboratory prototypes of liquid computers using colloids composed of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and microspheres containing thermal proteins (proteinoids). The choice of proteinoids is based on their distinctive neuron-like electrical behavior...

The increasing use of machine learning, with its significant computational and environmental costs, has motivated the exploration of unconventional computing substrates. Liquid substrates, such as colloids, are of particular interest due to their ability to conform to various shapes while exhibiting complex dynamics resulting from the collective be...

We report on the synthesis and characterization of a colloidal graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) system exhibiting complex memfractance behavior. The g-C3N4 colloid was prepared through thermal polymerization of urea, followed by dispersion in deionized water. X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy confirmed the successful synthesis of...

The colloid cellular automata do not imitate the physical structure of colloids but are governed by logical functions derived from them. We analyze the space-time complexity of Boolean circuits derived from the electrical responses of colloids-specifically ZnO (zinc oxide, an inorganic compound also known as calamine or zinc white, which naturally...

Soft robots can exhibit better performance in specific tasks compared to conventional robots, particularly in healthcare-related tasks. However, the field of soft robotics is still young, and designing them often involves mimicking natural organisms or relying heavily on human experts' creativity. A formal automated design process is required. We p...

Soft robots diverge from traditional rigid robotics, offering unique advantages in adaptability, safety, and human-robot interaction. In some cases, soft robots can be powered by biohybrid actuators and the design process of these systems is far from straightforward. We analyse here two algorithms that may assist the design of these systems, namely...

This paper describes the development of a bioinspired composite material capable of audio classification applications. Hydrogel matrices produced by microorganisms combined with synthetic biology elements, allow for the development of adaptable bioelectronics that connect biology and technology in a customized way. In this study, a composite popula...

Correction for ‘Spike trains in PANI-proteinoid nanomaterials with different light pulse rates’ by Panagiotis Mougkogiannis et al., Mater. Adv., 2024, https://doi.org/10.1039/D4MA00253A.

Magnetic fluids, commonly called ferrofluids, are excellent candidates for several important research fields, including computation, energy harvesting, biomedical applications, soft robotics, and exploration. Our study presents a groundbreaking discovery of significant phase correlations between two separate samples of ferrofluid, even when they ar...

Kombucha is a type of tea that is fermented using yeast and bacteria. During this process, a film made of cellulose is produced. This film has unique properties such as biodegradability, flexibility, shape conformability, and ability to self-grow as well as be produced across customized scales. In our previous studies, we demonstrated that Kombucha...

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, produce hollow microspheres in aqueous solutions. Ensembles of the microspheres produce endogenous spikes of electrical activity, similar to that of neurons. To make the first step toward the evaluation of the mechanisms of such electrical behaviour, we decided to expose proteinoids to chloroform. We found that whi...

We investigate the information processing capacities of kombucha–proteinoid proto–brains, focusing on the transducing properties through accommodation spiking, tonic bursting spiking, and optical and acoustic stimulation. We explore self-organization, adaptability, and emergent phenomena in this unconventional proto-architecture. By constructing ko...

Bio-inspired computing emulates the brain's information processing power in artificial architectures. We investigate the modification of emergent spike train dynamics in hybrid networks of polyaniline (PANI) nanomaterials hybridised with proteinoids under different optical stimulation frequencies. Hierarchical clustering of photoelectrochemical res...

The colloid cellular automata do not imitate the physical structure of colloids but are governed by logical functions derived from the colloids. We analyse the space-time complexity of Boolean circuits derived from the electrical responses of colloids: ZnO (zinc oxide, an inorganic compound also known as calamine or zinc white, which naturally occu...

In this study, we present electroactive biofilms made from a combination of Kombucha zoogleal mats and thermal proteinoids. These biofilms have potential applications in unconventional computing and robotic skin. Proteinoids are synthesized by thermally polymerizing amino acids, resulting in the formation of synthetic protocells that display electr...

Colloid-based computing devices offer remarkable fault tolerance and adaptability to varying environmental conditions due to their amorphous structure. An intriguing observation is that a colloidal suspension of ZnO nanoparticles in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) exhibits reconfiguration when exposed to electrical stimulation and produces spikes of elect...

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are amino acid polymers formed at high temperatures by nonbiological processes. The objective of this study is to examine the memfractance characteristics of proteinoids within a supersaturated hydroxyapatite solution. The ionic solution utilized for the current–voltage (I–V) measurements possessed an ionic strengt...

To understand the origins of life, we must first gain a grasp of the unresolved emergence of the first informational polymers and cell-like assemblies that developed into living systems. Heating amino acid mixtures to their boiling point produces thermal proteins that self-assemble into membrane-bound protocells, offering a compelling abiogenic rou...

We are studying the remarkable electrical properties of Proteinoids-ZnO microspheres with the aim of exploring their potential for a new form of computing. Our research has revealed that these microspheres exhibit behavior similar to neurons, generating electrical spikes that resemble action potentials. Through our investigations, we have studied t...

Proteinoids are artificial polymers that imitate certain characteristics of natural proteins, including self–organization, catalytic activity, and responsiveness to external stimuli. This paper examines the acoustic response properties of proteinoids microspheres when exposed to auditory stimuli. We convert sounds of English alphabet into waveforms...

The paper "Electrical Properties of Proteinoids for Unconventional Computing Architecture" investigates the distinct electrical properties of proteinoids, which are peptide-like molecules produced by amino acids in early Earth-like environments. These proteinoids are known to feature voltage-gated ion channels, electrical switching capabilities, an...

Kombucha is a type of tea that is fermented using yeast and bacteria. During this process, a film made of cellulose is produced. This film has unique properties such as biodegradability, flexibility, shape conformability, and ability to self-grow, as well as be produced across customised scales. In our previous studies, we demonstrated that Kombuch...

Liquid computers are devices that utilise the properties of liquid volumes or reactants to represent data and outputs. A recent development in this field is the emergence of colloid computers, which employ electromagnetic interactions among functional particles for computation. To assess the potential of colloid computers in implementing neuromorph...

Visible light induces nanoscale changes at proteinoid–ZnO interfaces, revealing photo-responsive chemical intelligence.

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, produce hollow microspheres in aqueous solution. Ensembles of the microspheres produce endogenous spikes of electrical activity, similar to that of neurons. To make a first step towards evaluation of the mechanisms of such electrical behaviour we decided to expose proteinoids to chloroform. We found that while chlo...

Advancements in mycelium technology, stemming from fungal electronics and the development of living mycelium composites and skins, have opened new avenues in the fusion of biological and artificial systems. This paper explores an experimental endeavour that successfully incorporates living, self-regenerating, and reactive Ganoderma sessile mycelium...

Liquid computers use incompressible fluids for computational processes. Here we present experimental laboratory prototypes of liquid computers using colloids composed of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles and microspheres containing thermal proteins (proteinoids). The choice of proteinoids is based on their distinctive neuron-like electrical behaviour...

In this study, we present electroactive biofilms made from a combination of Kombucha zoogleal mats andthermal proteinoids. These biofilms have potential applications in unconventional computing and roboticskin. Proteinoids are synthesised by thermally polymerizing amino acids, resulting in the formation ofsynthetic protocells that display electrica...

Proteinoids are thermal proteins which swell into microspheres in solution. The proteinoid microspheres show spiking of electrical potential similar to that to that of living neurons. Rich spectrum of proteinoids' spiking responses to optical and electrical stimulation makes them promising candidates for neuromorphic unconventional computing device...

Towards achieving efficient computational approaches, the perspective of Cellular Automata (CAs) appears to be highly potent, owing to its performance hidden in the parallel computing capabilities inherent in its local units, known as cells. Through their local interconnections and adherence to fixed or dynamic rules, these cells demonstrate except...

The work introduces a composite material that combines Kombucha cellulose mats with synthetic thermal proteinoids to create electroactive biofilms, capable for sensing and computation. The synthesis of proteinoids involves heating amino acid mixtures, which leads to the formation of proto–cell structures capable of biological electrical signalling....

Regular light-dark cycles greatly affect organisms, and events like eclipses induce distinctive physiological and behavioural shifts. While well-documented in animals, plant behaviour during eclipses remains largely unexplored. Here we monitored multiple spruce trees to assess their individual and collective bioelectrical responses to a solar eclip...

Proteinoids are thermal proteins which form microspheres in water in the presence of salt. Ensembles of proteinoid microspheres exhibit passive nonlinear electrical properties and active neuron-like spiking of electrical potential. We propose that various neuromorphic computing architectures can be prototyped from the proteinoid microspheres. A key...

When studying the split-gill fungus Schizophyllum commune , we observed that the growing colonies displayed endogenous spikes of electrical potential similar to the action potentials of neurons. In order to investigate the impact of light on the electrical activities of these colonies, we exposed them to intermittent stimulation with cold light (58...

Proteinoids are thermal proteins which swell into microspheres in aqueous solution. Ensembles of proteinoids produce electrical spiking activity similar to that of neurons. We introduce a novel method for implementing logical gates in the ensembles of proteinoid microspheres using chronoamperometry. Chronoamperometry is a technique that involves ap...

We study a cellular automaton (CA) model of information dynamics on a single hypha of a fungal mycelium. Such a filament is divided in compartments (here also called cells) by septa. These septa are invaginations of the cell wall and their pores allow for flow of cytoplasm between compartments and hyphae. The septal pores of the fungal phylum of th...

Mycelium bound composites are promising materials for a diverse range of applications including wearables and building elements. Their functionality surpasses some of the capabilities of traditionally passive materials, such as synthetic fibres, reconstituted cellulose fibres and natural fibres. Thereby, creating novel propositions including augmen...

A fungal colony maintains its integrity via flow of cytoplasm along mycelium network. This flow, together with possible coordination of mycelium tips propagation, is controlled by calcium waves and associated waves of electrical potential changes. We propose that these excitation waves can be employed to implement a computation in the mycelium netw...

Mycelium-bound composites consist of discrete substrate elements joined together by filamentous hypha strands. These composites can be moulded or extruded into custom components of desired shapes. When live fungi are present these composites exhibit electrical conductivity as well as memfractive and capacitive properties. These composites might be...

Mycelium networks are promising substrates for designing unconventional computing devices providing rich topologies and geometries where signals propagate and interact. Fulfilling our long-term objectives of prototyping electrical analog computers from living mycelium networks, including networks hybridised with nanoparticles, we explore the possib...

Living substrates are capable for nontrivial mappings of electrical signals due to the substrate nonlinear electrical characteristics. This property can be used to realise Boolean functions. Input logical values are represented by amplitude or frequency of electrical stimuli. Output logical values are decoded from electrical responses of living sub...

Proteinoids, also known as thermal proteins, possess a fascinating ability to generate microspheres that exhibit electrical spikes resembling the action potentials of neurons. These spiking microspheres, referred to as protoneurons, hold the potential to assemble into proto-nanobrains. In our study, we investigate the feasibility of utilizing a pro...

Advancements in mycelium technology, stemming from fungal electronics and the development of living mycelium composites and skins, have opened new avenues in the fusion of biological and artificial systems. This paper explores an experimental endeavour that successfully incorporates living, self-regenerating, and reactive Ganoderma sessile mycelium...

The development of novel hardware computing systems and methods has been a topic of increased interest for researchers worldwide. New materials, devices, and architectures are being explored as a means to deliver more efficient solutions to contemporary issues. Along with the advancement of technology, there is a continuous increase in methods avai...

Growing colonies of the split-gill fungus Schizophyllum commune show action potential-like spikes of extracellular electrical potential. We analysed several days of electrical activity recording of the fungus and discovered three families of oscillatory patterns. Very slow activity at a scale of hours, slow activity at a scale of 10 min and very fa...

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are produced by heating amino acids to their melting point and initiating polymerisation to produce polymeric chains. In aqueous solutions proteinoids swell into hollow microspheres. These microspheres produce endogenous burst of electrical potential spikes and change patterns of their electrical activity in respon...

Proteinoids, or thermal proteins, are aminoacid polymers formed at high temperatures by non-biological processes. Proteinoids form microspheres in liquids. The microspheres exhibit electrical activity similar to that of neurons. The electrically spiking microspheres are seen as proto-neurons capable of forming networks and carrying out information...

We are studying the remarkable electrical properties of Proteinoids-ZnO microspheres with the aim of exploring their potential for a new form of computing. Our research has revealed that these microspheres exhibit behavior similar to neurons, generating electrical spikes that resemble action potentials. Through our investigations, we have studied t...

Colloid-based computing devices offer remarkable fault tolerance and adaptability to varying environmental conditions due to their amorphous structure. An intriguing observation is that a colloidal suspension of ZnO nanoparticles in DMSO exhibits reconfiguration when exposed to electrical stimulation and produces spikes of electrical potential in r...

Many organisms (including certain plant species) can be observed to emit sounds, potentially signifying threat alerts. Sensitivity to such sounds and vibrations may also play an important role in the lives of fungi. In this work, we explore the potential of ultrasound activity in dehydrating fungi, and discover that several species of fungi do not...

Oscillation of physical parameters in materials can result in a peak signal in the frequency spectrum of the voltage measured from the materials. This spectrum and its amplitude/frequency tunability, through the application of bias voltage or current, can be used to perform neuron-like cognitive tasks. Magnetic materials, after achieving broad dist...

Living fungal mycelium networks are proven to have properties of memristors, capacitors and various sensors. To further progress our designs in fungal electronics we need to evaluate how electrical signals can be propagated through mycelium networks. We investigate the ability of mycelium-bound composites to convey electrical signals, thereby enabl...

Magnetic fluids are excellent candidates for several important research fields including energy harvesting, biomedical applications, soft robotics and exploration. However, notwithstanding relevant advancements such as shape reconfigurability, that have been demonstrated, there is no evidence for their computing capability, including the emulation...

Growing colonies of the split-gill fungus Schizophyllum commune show action potential-like spikes of extracellular electrical potential. We analysed several days of electrical activity recording of the fungus and discovered three families of oscillatory patterns. Very slow activity at a scale of hours, slow activity at a scale of tens minutes and v...

Living fungal mycelium networks are proven to have properties of memristors, capacitors and various sensors. To further progress our designs in fungal electronics we need to evaluate how electrical signals can be propagated through mycelium networks. We investigate the ability of mycelium-bound composites to convey electrical signals, thereby enabl...

Growing colonies of the split-gill fungus Schizophyllum commune show action potential-like spikes of extracellular electrical potential. We analysed several days of electrical activity recording of the fungus and discovered three families of oscillatory patterns. Very slow activity at a scale of hours, slow activity at a scale of tens minutes and v...