  The plasmodium of the slime mould Physarum polycephalum has recently received
significant attention for its value as a highly malleable amorphous computing
substrate. In laboratory-based experiments, micro- and nanoscale artificial
circuit components were introduced into the P. polycephalum plasmdodium to
investigate the electrical properties and computational abilities of hybridised
slime mould. It was found through a combination of imaging techniques and
electrophysiological measurements that P. polycephalum is able to internalise a
range of electrically active nanoparticles, assemble them in vivo and
distribute them around the plasmodium. Hybridised plasmodium is able to form
biomorphic mineralised networks, both inside the living plasmodium and the
empty trails left in its wake by taxis, both of which facilitate the
transmission of electricity. Hybridisation also alters the bioelectrical
activity of the plasmodium and likely influences its information processing
capabilities. It was concluded that hybridised slime mould is a suitable
substrate for producing functional unconventional computing devices.
