Plant hairy root cultures as plasmodium modulators of the slime mold emergent computing substrate Physarum polycephalum.

ABSTRACT: Roots of the medicinal plant Valeriana officinalis are well-studied for their various biological activities. We applied genetically transformed V. officinalis root biomass to exert control of Physarum polycephalum, an amoeba-based emergent computing substrate. The plasmodial stage of the P. polycephalum life cycle constitutes a single, multinucleate cell visible by unaided eye. The plasmodium modifies its network of oscillating protoplasm in response to spatial configurations of attractants and repellents, a behavior that is interpreted as biological computation. To program the computing behavior of P. polycephalum, a diverse and sustainable library of plasmodium modulators is required. Hairy roots produced by genetic transformation with Agrobacterium rhizogenes are a metabolically stable

SUBMITTER: Ricigliano V 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4504241 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature