A Design of a Molecular Communication System Using Biological Communication Mechanisms

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A Design of a Molecular Communication System
Using Biological Communication Mechanisms

• T. Nakano, A. Enomoto, M. Moore, R. Egashira,
  T. Suda,K. Oiwa , Y. Hiraoka , T. Haraguchi,
  R. Nakamori, T. KoujinUniversity of
  California, IrvineNational Institute of
  Information and Communications Technology

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Outline

• Nanomachine communication
• Nanomachines
• Our approach
• Molecular communication
• Example systems
• Conclusions

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Nanomachine Communication

• Goal
• Achieve communication between nanomachines
• Nanomachine nano-scale or molecular scale
  objects that are capable of performing simple
  tasks

Figure Protonic Nanomachin Project, Prof.
Namba at Osaka University http//www.npn.jst.go.j
p/index.html
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Nanomachines

• Biological nanomachines
• Dynein
• Molecular motors that walk along microtubule in a
  cell
• F1ATPase
• Synthesizes ATP (energy) by using an influx of
  protons to rotate
• Bacterium
• Swims toward the chemicals (e.g, food) using
  flagellum

Bacterium
Figures Alberts, Molecular Biology of the Cell
Dynein
F1ATPase
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Nanomachines

• Biological nanomachines
• logic gates made of biological components (e.g,
  enzymes or bacteria)
• If both substrate and effector exist, product
  produced
• If no effector or no substrate, substrate remains
  unchanged

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Nanomachines

• Artificial nanomachines
• Nickel propeller
• Size 0.75 - 1.5 um
• Micron motor
• Size 100 um in diameter
• 10,000 rpm

Engineering Issues in the fabrication of a
hybrid nano-propeller system powered by F1-ATPase
MEMS/NEMS http//www.fujita3.iis.u-tokyo.ac.jp/
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Our Approach

• Use communication mechanisms that biological
  systems use
• Intracellular communication
• Intercellular communication

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Intracellular Communication

• Transport materials using molecular motors within
  a cell

Vesicles transported by molecular motors
Microtubules
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Intercellular communication

• Cells coordinate through calcium signaling

J. Cell Biol. Jørgensen et al. 139 (2) 497, 1997
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Applications

• Pinpoint drug delivery
• To deliver drug to (targeted) cancer cells
• Molecular computing
• Coordination among distributed logical gates

ltBio nano-machine communicationgt
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Outline

• Nanomachine communication
• Nanomachines
• Our approach
• Molecular communication
• Example systems
• Conclusions

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Molecular Communication

• Sending and receiving of molecules as an
  information carrier

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• Make nanomachines communicate using communication
  mechanisms in living organisms
• Senders/receivers biological nanomachines
• Communication carrier molecules (e.g.,
  proteins, ions, DNAs)
• Communication distance nano/micro scale
• A receiver (chemically/physically) reacts to
  incoming molecules

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5. Decoding
1. Encoding
4. Receiving
2. Sending
3. Propagation
Senders (nanomachines)
Receivers (nanomachines)
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Key System Components

• A sender
• Molecule generation
• Molecule encoding
• Molecule emission
• Propagation
• Molecule loading at a sender
• Direction control
• Molecule unloading at a receiver
• Molecule recycling

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• A receiver
• Molecule reception
• Molecule decoding
• Molecule decomposition or recycling

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System Characteristics

• We want the system to be
• Autonomous (i.e., no human control)
• Closed (i.e., no energy supply from outside)
• Recycling (of carrier molecules and information
  molecules)
• Other system characteristics
• Probabilistic behavior
• Many to many communication
• Slow delivery of molecules

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Two Example Systems

• Molecular Communication
• Using a cellular network
• Using molecular motors

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Example 1 Molecular Communication Based on a
Cellular Network
Network of Biological Cells
Encoding information on calcium waves
Engineering the network components using cells
Decoding information from calcium waves
Various cellular responses (e.g., contraction,
secretion, growth, death)
Amplifier
Switch
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1-n communication (broadcasting medium)
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1-1 communication
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Gap Junctions

• Nanoscale protein channels connecting two
  adjacent cells
• Allowing small molecules to be shared among
  cells, enabling coordinated action of the cells

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Example Networking

• Filtering signals

Signal X is more permeable to channels formed
between the cells
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Example Networking

• Filtering signals

Signal Y is more permeable to channels formed
between the cells
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Example Networking

• Switching the direction of signaling

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Example Networking

• Switching the direction of signaling

Phosphorylation of channels increases/decreases
permeability of the channels.
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Example 2 Molecular Communication Using
Molecular Motors

• Nanomachines communicate using molecular motors.
• Molecules are transported by molecular motors
  that walk over a network of rail molecules.

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Outline

• Nanomachine communication
• Nanomachines
• Our approach
• Molecular communication
• Example systems
• Conclusions

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Research Issues

• Developing applications that require
  communication among bio nanomachines
• System designs using biological communication
  mechanisms
• Autonomous, closed, recycling system
• Various system components
• Creating new information and coding concepts
  and models
• Various approaches
• Feasibility test through experiments
• Theoretical modeling and analysis
• Simulations

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Conclusions

• Molecular Communication
• New paradigm
• Need a lot of research
• Integrating nano technology, bio technology and
  computer science