Molecular Communications and Networking

Volume 107, Issue 7 | July 2019

Guest Editors
Special Issue Papers
Point of View: Thoughts on Engineering Creativity
Scanning Our Past: Stanford Ovshinsky and the Genesis of the Cognitive Computer

Guest Editors:

Ian F. Akyildiz

Massimiliano Pierobon

Sasitharan
Balasubramaniam

Special Issue Papers

Scanning the Issue

By I. F. Akyildiz, M. Pierobon, and S. Balasubramaniam

An Information Theoretic Framework to Analyze Molecular Communication Systems Based on Statistical Mechanics

By Ian F. Akyildiz, M. Pierobon, and S. Balasubramaniam

This article proposes a mathematical framework to define the main functional blocks of molecular communication theory, supported by general models from chemical kinetics and statistical mechanics.

Channel Modeling for Diffusive Molecular Communication— A Tutorial Review

By V. Jamali, A. Ahmadzadeh, W. Wicke, A. Noel, and R. Schober

This article focuses on the main research results achieved so far in the mathematical channel modeling for an end-to-end molecular commu- nication (MC) channel, including the effects of molecules release mechanisms, the MC environment, as well as the reception mechanism, and how each of these has an impact on the information transfer performance.

Transmitter and Receiver Architectures for Molecular Communications: A Survey on Physical Design With Modulation, Coding and Detection Techniques

By M. Kuscu, E. Dinc, B. A. Bilgin, H. Ramezani, and O. B. Akan

This article focuses on the design of transmitters and receivers for molecular communication (MC). It also reviews existing literature on transmitter and receiver architectures for realizing MC, including both nanomaterial-based nanomachines and/or biological entities.

Capacity Bounds on Point-to-Point Communication Using Molecules

By C. Rose, I. S. Mian, and M. Ozmen

This article introduces a mathematical framework to infer analytical channel capacity bounds where the discrete nature of molecules is put into perspective in the processes of assemblage, release, and capture of matter in a molecular communication (MC) system.

Design of Asynchronous Genetic Circuits

By T. Nguyen, T. S. Jones, P. Fontanarrosa, J. V. Mante, Z. Zundel, D. Densmore, and C. J. Myers

This article presents an automated workflow for the design of asynchronous sequential genetic circuits by stemming from the assumption that while most electronic circuits utilize a timing reference, biological substrates are, in general, lacking a similar reliable high-frequency clock signal.

The Effect of Loads in Molecular Communications

By C. McBride, R. Shah, and D. D. Vecchio

This article discusses the design of molecular communication (MC) functionalities in biological cells through synthetic biomolecular circuits in light of their apparent lack of modularity, in contrast to their electrical counterpart.

Optogenomic Interfaces: Bridging Biological Networks With the Electronic Digital World

By J. M. Jornet, Y. Bae, C. R. Handelmann, B. Decker, A. Balcerak, A. Sangwan, P. Miao, A. Desai, L. Feng, E. K. Stachowiak, and M. K. Stachowiak

The article discusses the use of optical nano-bio interface to connect biological networks to electronic computing system and reviews the state of the art and future directions in light-mediated control of genomes, and consequent control of cell development.