NTMS 2012 - Nanonetworking: A Molecular Communications Perspective (NTMS Tutorial )

Nanomachines, human-made machines operating at the nanoscale or engineered cells, constitute a promising research topic in engineering. They render useful especially in tasks to be performed at the nanoscale (e.g., sensing rare occurrences of individual molecules) as well as health applications. However, the limited capabilities of nanomachines entail collaboration to perform complicated tasks. This is where nanonetworking, communication between nanomachines, comes into play. This tutorial presents a molecular communications perspective to nanonetworking. We will study and learn from the nanonetworks in nature, as shaped by evolution. At the cell level, various communication techniques such as communication via diffusion and calcium signaling are utilized. Our aim is to approach these techniques as communications engineers, understand how they operate, and then develop methods for communicating similarly. Thus, it will be possible to build networks of nanomachines from bio-hybrid nanomachines. This approach also enables us to utilize the reproduction and energy scavenging capabilities of the cells to build vast and robust networks of nanomachines.