Westlake University in China and the California Institute of Technology have designed a protein-based system inside living cells that can process multiple signals and make decisions based on them.
The researchers have also introduced a unique term, “perceptein,” as a combination of protein and perceptron. Perceptron is a foundational artificial neural network concept, effectively solving binary classification problems by mapping input features to an output decision.
By merging concepts from neural network theory with protein engineering, “perceptein” represents a biological system capable of performing classification computations at the protein level, similar to a basic artificial neural network. This “perceptein” circuit can classify different signals and respond accordingly, such as deciding to stay alive or undergo programmed cell death.
