title: On hybridising lettuce seedlings with nanoparticles and the resultant effects on the organisms' electrical characteristics.
abstract: Lettuce seedlings are attracting interest in the computing world due to their capacity to become hybrid circuit components, more specifically, in the creation of living 'wires'. Previous studies have shown that seedlings can be hybridised with gold nanoparticles and withstand mild electrical currents. In this study, lettuce seedlings were hybridised with a variety of metallic and non-metallic nanomaterials: carbon nanotubes, graphene oxide, aluminium oxide and calcium phosphate. Toxic effects and the following electrical properties were monitored: mean potential, resistance and capacitance. Macroscopic observations revealed only slight deleterious health effects after administration with one variety of particle, aluminium oxide. Mean potential in calcium phosphate-hybridised seedlings showed a considerable increase when compared with the control, whereas those administered with graphene oxide showed a small decrease; there were no notable variations across the remaining treatments. Electrical resistance decreased substantially in graphene oxide-treated seedlings whereas slight increases were shown following calcium phosphate and carbon nanotubes applications. Capacitance showed no considerable variation across treated seedlings. These results demonstrate that use of some nanomaterials, specifically graphene oxide and calcium phosphate, may be towards biohybridisation purposes including the generation of living 'wires'.
authors.affiliation: Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Nina.gizzie@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Nina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gizzie
authors.affiliation: Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom. Electronic address: richard.mayne@uwe.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mayne
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom. Electronic address: David.Patton@uwe.ac.uk.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Patton
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Paul2.Kendrick@uwe.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Kendrick
authors.affiliation: Unconventional Computing Centre, University of the West of England, Bristol BS16 1QY, United Kingdom. Electronic address: Andrew.adamatzky@uwe.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Adamatzky
mesh_terms: D000537:Aluminum Oxide / Q000737:chemistry; D002130:Calcium Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry; D004553:Electric Conductivity; D055664:Electrochemical Techniques / Q000379:methods; D006108:Graphite / Q000737:chemistry; D018545:Lactuca / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology*; D053768:Metal Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal; D008855:Microscopy, Electron, Scanning; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry*; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon / Q000737:chemistry; D010087:Oxides / Q000737:chemistry; D036226:Seedlings / Q000737:chemistry / Q000502:physiology* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D013052:Spectrometry, X-Ray Emission
chemical_list: D002130:Calcium Phosphates; D037742:Nanotubes, Carbon; D010087:Oxides; D006108:Graphite; C020243:calcium phosphate; D000537:Aluminum Oxide
keywords: Aluminium oxide; Calcium phosphate; Carbon nanotubes; Graphene; Hybrid circuitry; Lactuca sativa; Unconventional computing