Artificial neurons 'close' Venus flytrap

(ECNS) -- The latest research has found that an artificial neuron could be connected to the cells of a Venus flytrap and induce its leaves to close.

Simone Fabiano at Linköping University in Norrköping, Sweden, and his colleagues used carbon-based materials to produce artificial neurons to the Venus flytrap electric stimulation process with a low input current (2μA) at low stimulus frequencies, with the leaves remaining open. When they switched to 10μA and high stimulus frequencies, the leaves closed at two spikes.

The research showed that artificial neurons could send leaves the closing signal under electric stimulation.

That means although Venus flytraps don’t have nerves like humans and other animals, they are able to generate electrical impulses called action potentials that human neurons use to convey information to neural neighbors in the brain.

In this research, hardware-based systems were used to interact closely with living tissue thus giving biological feedback and inducting biological activities.

This sheds light on the future development of implantable devices and brain-computer interfaces, as well as potential integration of artificial nervous systems with biological entities, researchers say.

The research was published in Nature-Communications, a scientific journal launched by Springer Nature Group, on Wednesday.