Scientists send message made from molecules

The technique is claimed to have a range of applications in environments where electromagnetic waves cannot be used.

Molecular signalling is a common feature of the plant and animal kingdom with insects using pheromones for long-range signaling, but so far continuous data have not been transmitted.

Researchers at Warwick University and York University in Canada say they have developed the capability to transform any generic message into binary signals, which in turn is ‘programmed’ into evaporated alcohol molecules to demonstrate the potential of molecular communications. Their results are published in the open access journal PLOS ONE.

The first demonstration signal was performed in Canada and was ‘O Canada,’ from the Canadian national anthem. It was sent several metres across open space before it was decoded by a receiver.

The hardware is made from off-the-shelf electronics and costs around $100.

‘We believe we have sent the world’s first text message to be transmitted entirely with molecular communication, controlling concentration levels of the alcohol molecules, to encode the alphabets with single spray representing bit 1 and no spray representing the bit 0,’ said York University doctoral candidate Nariman Farsad, who led the experiment.