Researchers at the University of Twente have developed a new method that allows them to precisely control chemical reactions using metal ions. This marks an important step towards computers that function like the human brain. They recently published their findings in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
All living things can respond to their environment through a sequence of complex chemical reactions. This form of information processing requires far less energy than that of digital computers. As a result, the underlying processes are fundamentally different. For decades, researchers have been searching for a way to recreate nature's information processing using molecules.
Mathematical functions
In this study, researchers from the University of Twente succeeded in imitating mathematical functions with metal ions. This included polynomials like linear equations and parabolas, as well as logical Boolean functions that produce different outcomes based on the input.
Reactions with memory
The researchers were able to program the chemical reactions to not only respond to current conditions, but also ‘remember’ previous events. ‘We have found a possible building block for intelligent systems,’ says researcher Albert Wong. Using metal ions, the researchers controlled the rate of autocatalytic reactions. These are chemical reactions that accelerate themselves.
They applied this technique to convert the molecule trypsinogen to trypsin. By adding a substance that can slow down this conversion, the researchers created a system that can linger in two states. This allows the system to temporarily store information, giving it a form of memory.
Brain-like computers
The discovery opens up new possibilities for programming simple chemical networks for applications in artificial intelligence and smart materials. The research could also have a major impact on other scientific fields, such as nanobiotechnology and research into the chemical origins of life.
Further information
Dr Albert Wong is an associate professor in the Department of Molecules & Materials (MOLMAT; Faculty of S&T), and part of UT's MESA+ Institute of Nanotechnology and BRAINS Center. The work was carried out in his lab, Chemical Reaction Networks (CRN), which specialises in making functional reaction networks.
Together with researchers Dmitrii Kriukov MSc and Prof Dr Jurriaan Huskens, he published this research in a paper entitled ‘Exploring the Programmability of Autocatalytic Chemical Reaction Networks’ in the scientific journal Nature Communications. Nature Communications is an open-access journal in the fields of physics, chemistry, earth sciences, medicine and biology. The publication can be read online.
