En route for implanting a minimal chemical perceptron into artificial cells

This paper describes a potentially rewarding research program aimed at designing, modeling, analyzing and experimentally realizing artificial cells in the wetware domain endowed with a ‘neural network’-like module for achieving minimal perception. In particular, we present a possible implementation based on bacterial phosphorylation signaling networks (dubbed as “phospho-neural network” by Hellingwerf and collaborators in 1995 ). At this initial stage only preliminary discussions are possible. The scenario we devise minimizes unrealistic assumptions and it is based on the state-of-the-art of contemporary artificial cell technology. This contribution is intended as a plan to foster the construction and the theoretical analysis of next-generation artificial cells.