From Design to Experimentation in Molecular Communications: Discussion Through a Case Study

Molecular communications is an active research area developed in the last quarter of century, trying to combine communications theory results with biological and unconventional environments. The main characteristic of molecular communications is the use of molecules as information carriers instead of electromagnetic signals to implement communications between nanomachines, natural cells, or synthetic ones, able to transmit and receive these signals, which may be useful when electromagnetic communications are not possible or undesirable. However, this new application domain comes with significant issues when it is necessary to switch from design and/or simulation to practical experimentation. In this letter, we critically discuss the transition from design to testbed experimentation, using a practical case study as driving example. The case study is relevant to the application of molecular communications for building a monitoring device, able to detect with local and minimally invasive technology the condition of blood hyperviscosity for continuous patient monitoring. We present the issues arose during the experimentation that have an impact on testbed design, and identify potential, practical solutions to address them, thus providing contributions in the area of testbed and platform design. These methodologies have a general applicability beyond the scope of this specific application, thus offering insights for broader molecular communication applications.