Future Microsystems for Information Processing: Limits and Lessons From the Living Systems

The paper examines the impact of the physics of extremely scaled information processing devices and systems, with a focus on energy minimization. Architectural implications are also discussed including the impact on system scaling. In order to comprehend the system-level scaling and performance limits, understanding of limiting behavior for many electronic components is needed, e.g., logic and memory devices, I/Os, communication, etc. In the second part of the paper, entirely new information processing concepts are discussed based on learning from examples in nature, specifically, the individual living cell will be considered in the context of information processing. In the paper, a bacterial cell, such as E.coli of about one cubic micrometer volume is shown to be a very efficient and powerful information processor, far surpassing conceivable performance in the same volume by an ultimately scaled semiconductor system. Advances in the science of synthetic biology are beginning to suggest possible pathways for future information processing technologies. It might be possible that some of the physical limits faced by semiconductor technology may in fact be overcome by borrowing from synthetic biology principles.