What if plants compute?

The unexpended cognitive capacities of plants suggest the possibility of combining them with advances in computation. It is important to explore such a new field of research despite the incompleteness of the empirical support for it

Electrical potential spiking of Kombucha zoogleal mats: A symbiotic community of bacteria and yeasts

Background: A kombucha is a sugared tea fermented by a symbiotic community of over 20 species of bacteria and yeasts. The community produces and inhabits cellulosic gelatinous zoogleal mats.Methods: We studied electrical activity of the kombucha mats using pairs of differential electrodes.Results: We discovered that the mats produce action potential like spikes of electrical potential. The spikes are often grouped in the trains of spikes. Characteristics of the spikes and trains of spikes are presented.Conclusion: We demonstrated that electrical responses of kombucha mats to chemical, electrical, and optical stimulation are distinctive and therefore the mats can be used as sensors, or even unconventional computing devices