Neural computation with cellular cultures
There exist two classical paradigms in computation: the symbolic representation and the connectionist approximation. In addition to these two conventional paradigms, there are other, newer, approaches that are not so well established, but belonging to the brainstorming frontier between science and engineering. These new approaches include Bioware computation that proposes using real biological systems as computing elements. In this paper biological computing paradigms are studied by the programming capabilities of cellular cultures, mostly neural cultures, grown over multielectrode arrays with bi-directional communications. The systems are able of reading the cellular network activity and act over the network by stimulating the cells in different locations and with different approaches for superimposing a desired behaviour over the cultures.
bioware computation computation paradigms neural cultures optogenetics