Information technology has revolutionized the world in entirely unprecedented ways, like no other technology before. While initially, information technology was mostly about algorithms, the definition of the field has strongly expanded to include the interaction with the real world in so-called embodied systems. Biologically inspired, self-organizing robotic systems, have recently received a lot of attention (Pfeifer et al., 2007) because they require a notion of computing, called morphological computation, that goes beyond the traditional one. Computing devices, artificial cells, like all implementations of embodied computation, exhibit no clear distinction between hard- and software. On the one hand, this imposes certain restrictions on the feasibility of the forms of IT, on the other it enables the exploitation of inherent physical and chemical properties of amphiphilic structures. Evaluating the IT-potential of artificial cells therefore requires a careful choice of the level of abstraction on which the description of processes and interactions between system components is made. Though for a general view, taking account of all molecular details will not be suitable, physical and chemical properties of the hardware have to be included to a degree that enables reflecting the benefits of this real-world embodiment.
In this document we pursue the idea of exploring the IT potential of artificial cells. We introduce the "hardware" (so to speak), the vesicles or droplets, and the notion of morphological computation. We then discuss the "roadmap" of IT potential and applications of PACE technology, evolutionary methods, quantum mechanical aspects, and vesicular nano-robots. We conclude with a summary and a prospect for future research.
We distinguish between application scenarios which, at least partially, were investigated to some level of maturity in the course of PACE and the general impact. The latter includes the application of results of PACE to fields of relevance for the future development of European science and technology, but was not actively pursued during the project. There are, however, several follow-up projects will intend to develop further specific technologies developed in PACE by members of the consortium.
1. "Soft Robots": The construction of hybrids of vesicles and mechanical actuators will lead to small and mobile agents, a type of modular and miniaturized robot exhibiting novel mechanical properties.
2. Vesicle based, chemical multi-step reactors ("chemical micro fabs") which are realized by two- or three-dimensional assemblies of vesicles: Many chemical processes require several steps. It is sometimes beneficial to distribute the individual steps over several reaction vessels which offer different chemical conditions. In the aspired chemical micro fabs, the reaction vessels will be realized by vesicles. The necessary transport of material between the vesicles happens via diffusion or is mediated by specific molecular transporters. The vesicles will be placed either on a substrate (two-dimensional reactors) or are directly coupled to each other and then form three-dimensional structures. By employing specific key-and-lock linkers, such assemblies exhibit a defined spatial structure.
The technology we suggest exploits the benefits of compartmentalization of reaction vessels and extends them by making use of the additional phenomena resulting from arranging them in space in an organized manner. Besides efficiency gains for individual reactions, the AILab and the USD were able to provide the fundamental technology for a platform solution for the implementation of "programmable chemistry".
We distinguish between application scenarios which, at least partially, were investigated to some level of maturity in the course of PACE and the general impact. The latter includes the application of results of PACE to fields of relevance for the future development of European science and technology, but was not actively pursued during the project. There are, however, several follow-up projects will intend to develop further specific technologies developed in PACE by members of the consortium.
POTENTIAL APPLICATIONS
We pursued two closely related but as such independent possibilities for applications:1. "Soft Robots": The construction of hybrids of vesicles and mechanical actuators will lead to small and mobile agents, a type of modular and miniaturized robot exhibiting novel mechanical properties.
2. Vesicle based, chemical multi-step reactors ("chemical micro fabs") which are realized by two- or three-dimensional assemblies of vesicles: Many chemical processes require several steps. It is sometimes beneficial to distribute the individual steps over several reaction vessels which offer different chemical conditions. In the aspired chemical micro fabs, the reaction vessels will be realized by vesicles. The necessary transport of material between the vesicles happens via diffusion or is mediated by specific molecular transporters. The vesicles will be placed either on a substrate (two-dimensional reactors) or are directly coupled to each other and then form three-dimensional structures. By employing specific key-and-lock linkers, such assemblies exhibit a defined spatial structure.
The technology we suggest exploits the benefits of compartmentalization of reaction vessels and extends them by making use of the additional phenomena resulting from arranging them in space in an organized manner. Besides efficiency gains for individual reactions, the AILab and the USD were able to provide the fundamental technology for a platform solution for the implementation of "programmable chemistry".