학술논문

Utilizing Neurons for Digital Logic Circuits: A Molecular Communications Analysis
Document Type
Periodical
Source
IEEE Transactions on NanoBioscience IEEE Trans.on Nanobioscience NanoBioscience, IEEE Transactions on. 19(2):224-236 Apr, 2020
Subject
Bioengineering
Components, Circuits, Devices and Systems
Logic gates
Neurons
Computational modeling
Biological system modeling
Brain modeling
Synthetic biology
synthetic biology
nano communications
nanonetworks
Boolean algebra
Language
ISSN
1536-1241
1558-2639
Abstract
With the advancement of synthetic biology, several new tools have been conceptualized over the years as alternative treatments for current medical procedures. As part of this work, we investigate how synthetically engineered neurons can operate as digital logic gates that can be used towards bio-computing inside the brain and its impact on epileptic seizure-like behaviour. 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. Our simulations demonstrate 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 predict the accurate operation of a gate based on different sampling frequencies. As an application, the logic gates were used to smooth out epileptic seizure-like activity in a biological neuronal network, where the results demonstrated the effectiveness of reducing its mean firing rate. Our proposed system has the potential to be used in future approaches to treating neurological conditions in the brain.