Actin droplet machine

The actin droplet machine is a computational model that emulates a three-dimensional network of actin bundles within a droplet containing physiological solution. This model demonstrates the capability of implementing mappings for sets of binary strings. The actin bundle network allows for the propagation of travelling excitations or impulses, which can be harnessed for computational purposes. The machine is designed to interface with a specific set of k electrodes. These electrodes serve as input/output channels for the machine. Stimuli, represented as binary strings of length k, are applied to the machine through impulses generated on the electrodes. The machine records the responses to these stimuli in the form of impulses and subsequently converts them back into binary strings. The state of the machine is represented by a binary string of length k. Each position in the string corresponds to an electrode, where a ‘1’ indicates the presence of a recorded impulse on that electrode, and ‘0’ indicates its absence. The design of the actin droplet machine involves the establishment of state transition graphs, which depict the possible transitions between different states of the machine in response to specific input stimuli. These graphs provide insights into the behaviour and functionality of the machine. The actin droplet machine holds potential as an elementary processor in future massively parallel computers composed of biopolymers. It offers a unique approach to harnessing the computational capabilities of actin networks and demonstrates the feasibility of using biologically inspired systems for information processing tasks.