An Acoustic Communication Model in Plants

IF 2.5 Q2 ENGINEERING, ELECTRICAL & ELECTRONIC

IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications Pub Date : 2026-01-01 Epub Date: 2026-07-27 DOI:10.1109/TMBMC.2026.3717168

Fatih Merdan;Ozgur B. Akan

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Molecular communication (MC) studies biological signals that are found in nature. Most MC literature focuses on particle properties, even though many natural phenomena exhibit wave-like behavior. One such signal is sound waves. Understanding how sound waves are used in nature can help us better utilize this signal in our interactions with our environment. To take a step in this direction, in this paper, we examine how plants process incoming sound waves and take informed actions. Indeed, plants respond to sound, yet no quantitative communication-theoretic model currently explains this behavior. This study develops the first end-to-end acoustic communication framework for plants. The model is formed following the biological steps of the incoming signal, and a mathematical description is constructed at each step following basic biological models. The resulting end-to-end communication-theoretic model is analyzed using MATLAB. Simulations show that a

$200~Hz$

$20~ \mu Pa$

stimulus elevates cytosolic

$Ca^{2+}$

from

$150~nM$

$230 \pm 10~nM$

within 50 seconds which can cause root bending in plants in the long run. This work establishes quantitative phytoacoustics, enabling bio-inspired acoustic connections for precision agriculture and plant signaling research.

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来源期刊

IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications Mathematics-Modeling and Simulation

CiteScore

3.90

自引率

13.60%

发文量

期刊介绍： As a result of recent advances in MEMS/NEMS and systems biology, as well as the emergence of synthetic bacteria and lab/process-on-a-chip techniques, it is now possible to design chemical “circuits”, custom organisms, micro/nanoscale swarms of devices, and a host of other new systems. This success opens up a new frontier for interdisciplinary communications techniques using chemistry, biology, and other principles that have not been considered in the communications literature. The IEEE Transactions on Molecular, Biological, and Multi-Scale Communications (T-MBMSC) is devoted to the principles, design, and analysis of communication systems that use physics beyond classical electromagnetism. This includes molecular, quantum, and other physical, chemical and biological techniques; as well as new communication techniques at small scales or across multiple scales (e.g., nano to micro to macro; note that strictly nanoscale systems, 1-100 nm, are outside the scope of this journal). Original research articles on one or more of the following topics are within scope: mathematical modeling, information/communication and network theoretic analysis, standardization and industrial applications, and analytical or experimental studies on communication processes or networks in biology. Contributions on related topics may also be considered for publication. Contributions from researchers outside the IEEE’s typical audience are encouraged.