Bioelectric networks: the cognitive glue enabling evolutionary scaling from physiology to mind

Animal Cognition, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 26(6), P. 1865 - 1891

Published: May 19, 2023

Abstract Each of us made the remarkable journey from mere matter to mind: starting life as a quiescent oocyte (“just chemistry and physics”), slowly, gradually, becoming an adult human with complex metacognitive processes, hopes, dreams. In addition, even though we feel ourselves be unified, single Self, distinct emergent dynamics termite mounds other swarms, reality is that all intelligence collective intelligence: each consists huge number cells working together generate coherent cognitive being goals, preferences, memories belong whole not its parts. Basal cognition quest understand how Mind scales—how large numbers competent subunits can work become intelligences expand scale their possible goals. Crucially, trick turning homeostatic, cell-level physiological competencies into large-scale behavioral limited electrical brain. Evolution was using bioelectric signaling long before neurons muscles appeared, solve problem creating repairing bodies. this Perspective, I review deep symmetry between developmental morphogenesis classical behavior. describe highly conserved mechanisms enable implement regulative embryogenesis, regeneration, cancer suppression. sketch story evolutionary pivot repurposed algorithms cellular machinery navigation morphospace 3D world which so readily recognize intelligence. Understanding underlie construction bodies brains provides essential path understanding natural evolution, bioengineered design, diverse within beyond phylogenetic history Earth.

Language: Английский

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Darwin’s agential materials: evolutionary implications of multiscale competency in developmental biology

Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 80(6)

Published: May 8, 2023

Abstract A critical aspect of evolution is the layer developmental physiology that operates between genotype and anatomical phenotype. While much work has addressed mechanisms evolvability specific genetic architectures with emergent complexity, one not been sufficiently explored: implications morphogenetic problem-solving competencies for evolutionary process itself. The cells works are passive components: rather, they have numerous capabilities behavior because derive from ancestral unicellular organisms rich repertoires. In multicellular organisms, these must be tamed, can exploited, by process. Specifically, biological structures a multiscale competency architecture where cells, tissues, organs exhibit regulative plasticity—the ability to adjust perturbations such as external injury or internal modifications still accomplish adaptive tasks across metabolic, transcriptional, physiological, problem spaces. Here, I review examples illustrating how physiological circuits guiding cellular collective impart computational properties agential material serves substrate then explore ways in which intelligence during morphogenesis affect evolution, providing new perspective on search This key feature software life helps explain remarkable speed robustness sheds light relationship genomes functional phenotypes.

Language: Английский

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Synthetic morphology with agential materials

Nature Reviews Bioengineering, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 1(1), P. 46 - 59

Published: Jan. 19, 2023

Bioengineering can address many important needs, from transformative biomedicine to environmental remediation. In addition practical applications, the construction of new living systems will increase our understanding biology and nurture emerging intersections between biological computational sciences. this Review, we discuss transition cell-level synthetic multicellular morphology. We highlight experimental embryology studies, including organoids xenobots, that go beyond familiar, default outcomes embryogenesis, revealing plasticity, interoperability problem-solving capacities life. traditional bottom-up engineering genes proteins, design strategies be pursued based on modelling cell collectives as agential materials, with their own goals, agendas powers problem-solving. Such an bioengineering approach could transform developmental biology, regenerative medicine robotics, building frameworks include active, matter. Synthetic morphogenesis is limited by knowledge gaps about competencies cells groups. This Review discusses a framework empirically determined properties cells, goal-seeking behaviours, which allow creation complex devices cannot built using approaches.

Language: Английский

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Collective intelligence: A unifying concept for integrating biology across scales and substrates

Communications Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: March 28, 2024

Abstract A defining feature of biology is the use a multiscale architecture, ranging from molecular networks to cells, tissues, organs, whole bodies, and swarms. Crucially however, not only nested structurally, but also functionally: each level able solve problems in distinct problem spaces, such as physiological, morphological, behavioral state space. Percolating adaptive functionality one competent subunits higher functional organization requires collective dynamics: multiple components must work together achieve specific outcomes. Here we overview number biological examples at different scales which highlight ability cellular material make decisions that implement cooperation toward homeodynamic endpoints, intelligence by solving cell, tissue, whole-organism levels. We explore hypothesis province groups animals, an important symmetry exists between science swarms competencies cells other systems scales. then briefly outline implications this approach, possible impact tools field diverse for regenerative medicine synthetic bioengineering.

Language: Английский

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A free energy principle for generic quantum systems

Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 173, P. 36 - 59

Published: May 23, 2022

Language: Английский

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There’s Plenty of Room Right Here: Biological Systems as Evolved, Overloaded, Multi-Scale Machines

Biomimetics, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 8(1), P. 110 - 110

Published: March 8, 2023

The applicability of computational models to the biological world is an active topic debate. We argue that a useful path forward results from abandoning hard boundaries between categories and adopting observer-dependent, pragmatic view. Such view dissolves contingent dichotomies driven by human cognitive biases (e.g., tendency oversimplify) prior technological limitations in favor more continuous view, necessitated study evolution, developmental biology, intelligent machines. Form function are tightly entwined nature, some cases, robotics as well. Thus, efforts re-shape living systems for biomedical or bioengineering purposes require prediction control their at multiple scales. This challenging many reasons, one which perform functions same place time. refer this “polycomputing”—the ability substrate simultaneously compute different things, make those available observers. important way things kind computer, but not familiar, linear, deterministic kind; rather, computers broad sense materials, reported rapidly growing physical computing literature. observer-centered framework computations performed evolved designed will improve understanding mesoscale events, it has already done quantum relativistic To develop our how life performs polycomputing, can be convinced alter functions, we first create technologies polycompute learn functions. Here, review examples idea overloading on hardware design principle helps understand build both systems. Learning hack existing polycomputing substrates, well evolve new ones, have massive impacts regenerative medicine, robotics, computer engineering.

Language: Английский

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Future medicine: from molecular pathways to the collective intelligence of the body

Trends in Molecular Medicine, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 29(9), P. 687 - 710

Published: July 20, 2023

The remarkable anatomical homeostasis exhibited by complex living organisms suggests that they are inherently reprogrammable information-processing systems offer numerous interfaces to their physiological and problem-solving capacities. We briefly review data suggesting the multiscale competency of forms affords a new path for biomedicine exploits innate collective intelligence tissues organs. concept tissue-level allostatic goal-directedness is already bearing fruit in clinical practice. sketch roadmap towards 'somatic psychiatry' using advances bioelectricity behavioral neuroscience design methods induce self-repair structure function. Relaxing assumption cellular control mechanisms static, exploiting powerful concepts from cybernetics, science, developmental biology may spark definitive solutions current biomedical challenges.

Language: Английский

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The collective intelligence of evolution and development

Collective Intelligence, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 2(2), P. 263391372311683 - 263391372311683

Published: April 1, 2023

Collective intelligence and individual are usually considered to be fundamentally different. Individual is uncontroversial. It occurs in organisms with special neural machinery, evolved by natural selection enable cognitive learning functions that serve the fitness benefit of organism, then trained through lifetime experience maximise rewards. Whilst mechanisms not fully understood, good models exist for many aspects cognition learning. intelligence, contrast, a much more ambiguous idea. What exactly constitutes collective often vague, might it frequently domain-specific. These cannot selected specifically purpose because collectives (except circumstances) evolutionary units, clear can learn way intelligences do since they singular locus rewards benefits. Here, we use examples from evolution developmental morphogenesis argue these apparent distinctions as categorical appear. Breaking down such enables us borrow expand existing framework particular connectionist familiar context networks. We discuss how specific features inform necessary sufficient conditions identify current knowledge gaps opportunities future research.

Language: Английский

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Cellular signaling pathways as plastic, proto-cognitive systems: Implications for biomedicine

Patterns, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 4(5), P. 100737 - 100737

Published: April 26, 2023

Many aspects of health and disease are modeled using the abstraction a "pathway"—a set protein or other subcellular activities with specified functional linkages between them. This metaphor is paradigmatic case deterministic, mechanistic framework that focuses biomedical intervention strategies on altering members this network up-/down-regulation links them—rewiring molecular hardware. However, pathways transcriptional networks exhibit interesting unexpected capabilities such as trainability (memory) information processing in context-sensitive manner. Specifically, they may be amenable to manipulation via their history stimuli (equivalent experiences behavioral science). If true, would enable new class interventions target dynamic physiological "software" implemented by gene-regulatory networks. Here, we briefly review clinical laboratory data show how high-level cognitive inputs pathway modulation interact determine outcomes vivo. Further, propose an expanded view from perspective basal cognition argue broader understanding process contextual across scales will catalyze progress many areas physiology neurobiology. We fuller functionality tractability must go beyond focus details drug structure encompass well embedding within higher levels organization organism, numerous implications for science addressing disease. Exploiting tools concepts sciences explore proto-cognitive underlying more than philosophical stance biochemical processes; at stake roadmap overcoming limitations today's pharmacological inferring future therapeutic wide range states.

Language: Английский

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Biological Robots: Perspectives on an Emerging Interdisciplinary Field

Soft Robotics, Journal Year: 2023, Volume and Issue: 10(4), P. 674 - 686

Published: April 21, 2023

Advances in science and engineering often reveal the limitations of classical approaches initially used to understand, predict, control phenomena. With progress, conceptual categories must be re-evaluated better track recently discovered invariants across disciplines. It is essential refine frameworks resolve conflicting boundaries between disciplines such that they facilitate, not restrict, experimental capabilities. In this essay, we address specific questions critiques which have arisen response our research program, lies at intersection developmental biology, computer science, robotics. context biological machines robots, explore changes concepts previously distinct fields are driven by recent advances materials, information, life sciences. Herein, each author provides their own perspective on subject, framed disciplinary training. We argue as with computation, certain aspects biology robotics tied materials; rather, consilience these can help shed light issues multiscale control, self-assembly, relationships form function. hope new emerge arising from technological overcome, furthering practical applications regenerative medicine useful synthetic living machines.

Language: Английский

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