Bio-inspired Communication Research Articles

Molecular Communication-Based Intelligent Dopamine Rate Modulator for Parkinson's Disease Treatment.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease, and it is caused by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the basal ganglia (BG). Currently, there is no definite cure for PD, and available treatments mainly aim to alleviate its symptoms. Due to impaired neurotransmitter-based information transmission in PD, molecular communication-based approaches can be employed as potential solutions to address this issue. Molecular Communications (MC) is a bio-inspired communication method utilizing molecules to carry information. This mode of communication stands out for developing biocompatible nanomachines for diagnosing and treating, particularly in addressing neurodegenerative diseases like PD, due to its compatibility with biological systems. This study presents a novel treatment method that introduces an Intelligent Dopamine Rate Modulator (IDRM), which is located in the synaptic gap between the substantia nigra pars compacta (SNc) and striatum to compensate for insufficiency dopamine release in BG caused by PD. For storing dopamine in the IDRM, dopamine compound (DAC) is swallowed and crossed through the digestive system, blood circulatory system, blood-brain barrier (BBB), and brain extracellular matrix uptakes with IDRMs. Here, the DAC concentration is calculated in these regions, revealing that the required exogenous dopamine consistently reaches IDRM. Therefore, the perpetual dopamine insufficiency in BG associated with PD can be compensated. This method reduces drug side effects because dopamine is not released in other brain regions. Unlike other treatments, this approach targets the root cause of PD rather than just reducing symptoms.

Ratio Shift Keying Modulation for Time-Varying Molecular Communication Channels.

Molecular Communications (MC) is a bio-inspired communication technique that uses molecules to encode and transfer information. Many efforts have been devoted to developing novel modulation techniques for MC based on various distinguishable characteristics of molecules, such as their concentrations or types. In this paper, we investigate a particular modulation scheme called Ratio Shift Keying (RSK), where the information is encoded in the concentration ratio of two different types of molecules. RSK modulation is hypothesized to enable accurate information transfer in dynamic MC scenarios where the time-varying channel characteristics affect both types of molecules equally. To validate this hypothesis, we first conduct an information-theoretical analysis of RSK modulation and derive the capacity of the end-to-end MC channel where the receiver estimates concentration ratio based on ligand-receptor binding statistics in an optimal or suboptimal manner. We then analyze the error performance of RSK modulation in a practical time-varying MC scenario, that is mobile MC, in which both the transmitter and the receiver undergo diffusion-based propagation. Our numerical and analytical results, obtained for varying levels of similarity between the ligand types used for ratio-encoding, and varying number of receptors, show that RSK can significantly outperform the most commonly considered MC modulation technique, concentration shift keying (CSK), in dynamic MC scenarios.

Rigorous engineering of collective adaptive systems – 2nd special section

An adaptive system is able to adapt at runtime to dynamically changing environments and to new requirements. Adaptive systems can be single adaptive entities or collective ones that consist of several collaborating entities. Rigorous engineering requires appropriate methods and tools that help guaranteeing that an adaptive system lives up to its intended purpose. This paper introduces the special section on “Rigorous Engineering of Collective Adaptive Systems.” It presents the 11 contributions of the section categorizing them into five distinct research lines: correctness by design and synthesis, computing with bio-inspired communication, new system models, machine learning, and programming and analyzing ensembles.

Directional and Reconfigurable Assembly of Active Colloidal Motors Triggered by Chemical Communications

AbstractAnisotropic colloidal particles can directionally self‐assemble, but the resulting assemblies cannot reconfigure unless the surface properties of colloidal particles change. Although external fields with adjustable inputs can guide the reconstruction of active structures after stimulating the dynamic assembly of active colloidal motors, the interaction between colloidal motors is unclear. Here, the study reports a bioinspired communication and directed assembly of peanut‐shaped colloidal motors with the emergence of ordered ribbon structures triggered by self‐generated chemical fields. The colloidal motors photocatalytically decompose the fuel to create the chemical concentration gradient fields and exert long‐range attractions on the colloidal scale, which enable colloidal motors to communicate by sensing each other, synchronizing orientation, and assembling side‐by‐side after the collision between their local flow fields. The inter‐individual communication occurs at a critical distance of ≈4.4 µm, resulting from the interplay between hydrodynamic effects, long‐ranged phoretic attraction, and short‐ranged magnetic interaction. The linear ribbons are still active owing to the symmetry breaking of the local fluid field and can be switched between rigid and flexible states according to light conditions to simulate the polymer conformation. The complexity of colloidal motors can be combined with external manipulations to manufacture active soft materials with precise and adaptive functions.

Detection in molecular communications with ligand receptors under molecular interference

Molecular Communications (MC) is a bio-inspired communication technique that uses molecules to transfer information among bio-nano devices. In this paper, we focus on the detection problem for biological MC receivers employing ligand receptors to infer the transmitted messages encoded into the concentration of molecules, i.e., ligands. In practice, receptors are not ideally selective against target ligands, and in physiological environments, they can interact with multiple types of ligands at different reaction rates depending on their binding affinity. This molecular cross-talk can cause a substantial interference on MC. Here we consider a particular scenario, where there is non-negligible concentration of interferer molecules in the channel, which have similar receptor-binding characteristics with the information molecules, and the receiver employs single type of receptors. We investigate the performance of four different detection methods, which make use of different statistics of the ligand-receptor binding reactions: instantaneous number of bound receptors, unbound time durations of receptors, bound time durations of receptors, and combination of unbound and bound time durations of receptors within a sampling time interval. The performances of the introduced detection methods are evaluated in terms of bit error probability for varying strength of molecular interference, similarity between information and interferer molecules, number of receptors, and received concentration difference between bit-0 and bit-1 transmissions. We propose synthetic receptor designs that can convert the required receptor statistics to the concentration of intracellular molecules, and chemical reaction networks that can chemically perform the computations required for detection.

Design Methodology of Passive In-Line Relays for Molecular Communication in Flow-Induced Microfluidic Channel.

Molecular communication is a bioinspired communication that enables macro-scale, micro-scale and nano-scale devices to communicate with each other. The molecular communication system is prone to severe signal attenuation, dispersion and delay, which leads to performance degradation as the distance between two communicating devices increases. To mitigate these challenges, relays are used to establish reliable communication in microfluidic channels. Relay assisted molecular communication systems can also enable interconnection among various entities of the lab-on-chip for sharing information. Various relaying schemes have been proposed for reliable molecular communication systems, most of which lack practical feasibility. Thus, it is essential to design and develop relays that can be practically incorporated into the microfluidic channel. This paper presents a novel design of passive in-line relay for molecular communication system that can be easily embedded in the microfluidic channel and operate without external energy. Results show that geometric modification in the microfluidic channel can act as a relay and restore the degraded signal up-to 28%.

Molecular-Type Permutation Shift Keying in Molecular MIMO Communications for IoBNT

Molecular communication (MC) is a bio-inspired communication paradigm, which lays the foundation for the Internet of Bio-NanoThings (IoBNT) in the medical field. As a high energy-efficient information transfer method, MC via diffusion (MCvD) is envisioned as a promising candidate for IoBNT but suffers from low date rates due to the long tail of the channel impulse response (CIR). To this end, the multiple-input–multiple-output (MIMO) technique has been introduced to MCvD. However, the intersymbol interference (ISI) and interlink interference (ILI) deteriorate the bit error rate (BER) performance of MIMO MCvD systems. In this article, molecular type permutation shift keying in the space domain (MTPSK-SD) and time-interleaved MTPSK-SD are proposed for MIMO MCvD systems to improve the BER performance by reducing ILI. The principle of MTPSK-SD is further generalized to the spatiotemporal domain, yielding three spatiotemporal modulation schemes, which can provide desirable BER performance without requiring any CIR information in the communication scenarios affected by different levels of ISI and ILI. Two low-complexity detectors are proposed to obtain different tradeoffs between anti-ILI and anti-ISI performance. Furthermore, a complementary coding scheme, which can effectively reduce the ILI under the considered symmetrical system topology, is designed and applied to all the proposed modulation schemes. Additionally, the BER upper bound is analyzed. Numerical simulations on BER corroborate the analysis and show that the proposed schemes are promising multimolecule modulation alternatives, which outperform the existing MIMO MCvD modulation schemes.

Nanoparticles as suitable messengers for molecular communication.

Molecular communication (MoCo) is a new paradigm of bio-inspired communication in which the transport of information occurs through information particles instead of electromagnetic waves. Herein, the enormous potential of nanoparticles in this field is highlighted. The MoCo concept has been extensively modelled both theoretically and computationally within the scientific community, mainly in the field of engineering. We collected the most relevant findings about the implementation of prototypal MoCo platforms by exploiting nanoparticles as informative nanomessengers and herein the theoretical and computational modelling used to design MoCo systems is presented.

Bio-inspired cooperative diversity link in underwater optical wireless communication

Numerous advantages of underwater wireless optical communication over the traditional acoustic model have been highlighted over the past few years. But the challenges of expanding its range and reducing attenuation still persist. Background noise in particular has been classified into solar and biological radiation. The latter is comprised primarily of bioluminescence, which entails the spontaneous emission of light by marine microorganisms, and is widespread when conditions are favourable. Earlier, this phenomenon has been drawn on in diverse fields, like imaging, genetics and environmental monitoring. But, its advantages in aquatic communication are yet to be fully explored. A heuristic study on the feasibility of marine cooperative diversity, based on bacterial bioluminescence, is carried out and a mathematical model is formulated, taking into account various biotic and abiotic factors that may disturb its steady functioning. Bacteria have been shown to stabilize for long periods on cryodesiccation. Similarly, their light discharge has been controlled by photo-chemically monitoring the cofactor availability. This permits emission only on interaction with the transmitted signal. Additionally, there is a radical reduction in system size. If regulated properly, bioluminescence can eventually prove to be an encouraging option, rather than a hindrance, for the future. To the best of our knowledge, a bio-inspired communication system has been modelled for the first time, proposing a solution for the implementation of underwater cooperative diversity.

Maximum Likelihood Detection With Ligand Receptors for Diffusion-Based Molecular Communications in Internet of Bio-Nano Things.

Molecular Communication (MC) is a bio-inspired communication technique that uses molecules as a method of information transfer among nanoscale devices. MC receiver is an essential component having profound impact on the communication system performance. However, the interaction of the receiver with information bearing molecules has been usually oversimplified in modeling the reception process and developing signal detection techniques. In this paper, we focus on the signal detection problem of MC receivers employing receptor molecules to infer the transmitted messages encoded into the concentration of molecules, i.e., ligands. Exploiting the observable characteristics of ligand-receptor binding reaction, we first introduce a Maximum Likelihood (ML) detection method based on instantaneous receptor occupation ratio, as aligned with the current MC literature. Then, we propose a novel ML detection technique, which exploits the amount of time the receptors stay unbound in an observation time window. A comprehensive analysis is carried out to compare the performance of the detectors in terms of bit error probability. In evaluating the detection performance, emphasis is given to the receptor saturation problem resulting from the accumulation of messenger molecules at the receiver as a consequence of intersymbol interference. The results reveal that detection based on receptor unbound time is quite reliable even in saturation, whereas the reliability of detection based on receptor occupation ratio substantially decreases as the receiver gets saturated. Finally, we also discuss the potential methods of implementing the detectors.

RAIN: A Bio-Inspired Communication and Data Storage Infrastructure.

We summarize the results and perspectives from a companion article, where we presented and evaluated an alternative architecture for data storage in distributed networks. We name the bio-inspired architecture RAIN, and it offers file storage service that, in contrast with current centralized cloud storage, has privacy by design, is open source, is more secure, is scalable, is more sustainable, has community ownership, is inexpensive, and is potentially faster, more efficient, and more reliable. We propose that a RAIN-style architecture could form the backbone of the Internet of Things that likely will integrate multiple current and future infrastructures ranging from online services and cryptocurrency to parts of government administration.

Robust and efficient membership management in large-scale dynamic networks

Epidemic protocols are a bio-inspired communication and computation paradigm for large-scale networked systems based on randomised communication. These protocols rely on a membership service to build decentralised and random overlay topologies. In large-scale, dynamic network environments, node churn and failures may have a detrimental effect on the structure of the overlay topologies with negative impact on the efficiency and the accuracy of applications. Most importantly, there exists the risk of a permanent loss of global connectivity that would prevent the correct convergence of applications. This work investigates to what extent a dynamic network environment may negatively affect the performance of Epidemic membership protocols. A novel Enhanced Expander Membership Protocol (EMP+) based on the expansion properties of graphs is presented. The proposed protocol is evaluated against other membership protocols and the comparative analysis shows that EMP+ can support faster application convergence and is the first membership protocol to provide robustness against global network connectivity problems.

On the capacity of diffusion-based molecular communications with SiNW FET-based receiver.

Molecular communication (MC) is a bio-inspired communication method based on the exchange of molecules for information transfer among nanoscale devices. Although MC has been extensively studied from various aspects, limitations imposed by the physical design of transceiving units have been largely neglected in the literature. Recently, we have proposed a nanobioelectronic MC receiver architecture based on the nanoscale field effect transistor-based biosensor (bioFET) technology, providing noninvasive and sensitive molecular detection at nanoscale while producing electrical signals at the output. In this paper, we derive analytical closed-form expressions for the capacity and capacity-achieving input distribution for a memoryless MC channel with a silicon nanowire (SiNW) FET-based MC receiver. The resulting expressions could be used to optimize the information flow in MC systems equipped with nanobioelectronic receivers.

Modeling and Analysis of SiNW FET-Based Molecular Communication Receiver

Molecular Communication (MC) is a bio-inspired communication method based on the exchange of molecules for information transfer among nanoscale devices. MC has been extensively studied from various aspects in the literature; however, the physical design of MC transceiving units is largely neglected with the assumption that network nodes are entirely biological devices, e.g., engineered bacteria, which are intrinsically capable of receiving and transmitting molecular messages. However, the low information processing capacity of biological devices and the challenge to interface them with macroscale networks hinder the true application potential of nanonetworks. To overcome this problem, recently, we proposed a nanobioelectronic MC receiver architecture exploiting the nanoscale field effect transistor-based biosensor (bioFET) technology, which provides noninvasive and sensitive molecular detection while producing electrical signals as the output. In this paper, we introduce a comprehensive model for silicon nanowire (SiNW) FET-based MC receivers by integrating the underlying processes in MC and bioFET to provide a unified analysis framework. We derive closed-form expressions for noise statistics, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) at the receiver output, and symbol error probability (SEP). Performance evaluation in terms of SNR and SEP reveals the effects of individual system parameters on the detection performance of the proposed MC receiver.

Leaf Cutter Communication Strategy, Skills and Attributes - a Novel Bio-Inspired Intelligent Communication for Computing Research

Background/Objectives: To analyze the behaviors of Leaf Cutter Ants and develop Bio-inspired intelligent communication mechanism for Research in Computing. Findings: In this research, the decision making realizations of the foraging ants are methodologically ascertained, collected and imported. Researchers have come across streaks of emergent patterns pertaining to foraging. It can be estimated in brevity that colonial ants possess or are guided by some feedback loops - positive or negative, coupled with individual responses arbitrated by social behavior of foraging ants and justifiable integrations of effacing local information during the phase of food collection after scrutiny and analysis of colony conditions. Applications/Improvements: The behavioral demeanor of ants relies largely on community building and prosperity, rather than individual optimization. The ants can sense and act differently when they understand that they are being scrutinized. Moreover, the intriguing art of surviving amongst weird environs of harmful parasites merely with the aid of Streptomyces can also be artificially implemented for the benefit of humankind in its entirety.

Astrocyte to Neuron Communication Channels With Applications

Bioinspired communication techniques are emerging with increasing interest in parallel with recent advancements of nanotechnology. Particular interest is observed in the development of neuronal interfaces for human-machine communication and nanoscale neuronal devices. We propose a novel description of the communication pathways existing in the neuronal circuits, based on the abstract dynamics between different components of the neuronal communication. In the analysis, a critical role is played by glia cells , such as the astrocytes , which support and actively modulate the neuronal activity of adjacent neurons, as shown in experiments conducted the last decades. For this reason, the concept of tripartite synapse , where two neurons are interfaced with the astrocyte, is central in our abstraction. First, we define the layers of the bidirectional neuron–astrocyte communication and describe mathematically the relations connecting different quantities, i.e., intracellular molecular concentrations and currents produced on the cellular membrane. Second, the astrocytic $\text{Ca}^{2+}$ signaling is investigated for the design of a neuronal communication interface based on the propagation of calcium waves through the astrocytic network. The proposed analysis provides an organized framework for an alternative description of the synaptic communication as well as for aiding the development of artificial biomimetic devices and prostheses.

Bio-Inspired Cross-Layer Communication and Coordination in Sensor and Vehicular Actor Networks

In this paper, based on the prey model in foraging theory, the BIO-inspired Cross-layer (BIOX) communication and coordination protocol is introduced for wireless sensor and actor networks (WSANs). BIOX permits each sensor node to autonomously determine its next-hop selection and channel access strategy using bio-inspired next-hop selection and channel access profitability measures. Based on these profitability measures, BIOX provides optimal performance in energy-efficient and reliable sensor-actor communication. Furthermore, using task allocation profitability measure, BIOX also guarantees stable allocation of available tasks in a way that each task is accomplished by an actor node within a bounded time delay. Performance evaluations reveal that BIOX significantly prolongs the network lifetime while providing highly reliable sensor-actor communication and effective task allocation for actor nodes.

Link layer modeling of bio-inspired communication in nanonetworks

Bio-inspired packet communication over a link between two nanogateways is considered. In the envisioned nanonetwork architecture, bacteria are employed as transporters of information packets between gateways and therefore, the link layer model must take into account the behavior of these transporters. With the unique features of this mode of communication integrated into a simulation software, single-hop delay and throughput performance measures are analyzed. The effects on performance of traffic generation intensity, source–destination separation distance, propagation time variability, packet lifetime, and the number of bacteria that can be processed concurrently at the nanogateway are presented. The primary contribution of this study is an assessment of the effects of congestion in nanonetworks through consideration of competition among bacteria for conjugation at a nanogateway.

Noise Analysis in Ligand-Binding Reception for Molecular Communication in Nanonetworks

Molecular communication (MC) will enable the exchange of information among nanoscale devices. In this novel bio-inspired communication paradigm, molecules are employed to encode, transmit and receive information. In the most general case, these molecules are propagated in the medium by means of free diffusion. An information theoretical analysis of diffusion-based MC is required to better understand the potential of this novel communication mechanism. The study and the modeling of the noise sources is of utmost importance for this analysis. The objective of this paper is to provide a mathematical study of the noise at the reception of the molecular information in a diffusion-based MC system when the ligand-binding reception is employed. The reference diffusion-based MC system for this analysis is the physical end-to-end model introduced in a previous work by the same authors, where the reception process is realized through ligand-binding chemical receptors. The reception noise is modeled in this paper by following two different approaches, namely, through the ligand-receptor kinetics and through the stochastic chemical kinetics. The ligand-receptor kinetics allows to simulate the random perturbations in the chemical processes of the reception, while the stochastic chemical kinetics provides the tools to derive a closed-form solution to the modeling of the reception noise. The ligand-receptor kinetics model is expressed through a block scheme, while the stochastic chemical kinetics results in the characterization of the reception noise using stochastic differential equations. Numerical results are provided to demonstrate that the analytical formulation of the reception noise in terms of stochastic chemical kinetics is compliant with the reception noise behavior resulting from the ligand-receptor kinetics simulations.

Bio-Inspired Communication: Performance Limits for Information Transmission and Compression in Stochastic Pooling Networks with Binary Quantizing Nodes

A general framework for modeling surprising nonlinear interactions between redundancy and two forms of 'noise'-lossy compression and randomness is discussed. This 'stochastic pooling network' (SPN) model arose from studies of signal transduction by populations of biological sensory neurons, but is also applicable for several modern communications and computing approaches. SPNs are networks that simultaneously exhibit noise-averaging effects caused by redundancy, and lossy signal compression. Here we illustrate some interesting features of a special case of SPN, where individual network nodes are extremely lossy, and transmit single-bit observations of an analog signal. Mutual information is used to quantify the gain obtained from N such observations, which is shown to be limited by quantization noise for large input SNRs, but only by the size of the network for small input SNRs. We show that this means extreme local compression is close to optimal for small SNRs, by a comparison with the mutual information for the case of no compression. Interpretations of these results in terms of rate-distortion theory and probability of error are given indicating that requantization of the output of an SPN can lead to low bit-error-rate communication.