Nanotechnology continues to advance rapidly, revealing previously unexplored directions in nanoscale communications. Biological and electromagnetic nanonetworks—established communication paradigms at the nanoscale—have shifted interest toward the middle and higher levels of the nanonetworking protocol stack. Motivated by the discovery of Cable Bacteria (CB) and their unique properties, we propose a theoretical model and framework for a new category of nanonetworks: bioelectrical nanonetworks (BioEN). This proposed framework combines the biocompatibility, sustainability and inherent nanodimensions of biological organisms with the networking performance of electromagnetic systems. Large-scale formations (e.g., 10,000 cells spanning nearly 2 cm), together with the electrical characteristics of CB, suggest the feasibility of guided electron-based transport that could complement diffusion-dominated nanonetworks, subject to resistive-capacitive (RC) constraints that remain to be quantified. Furthermore, we present a set of basic network architectures—such as star, ring, and tree—introducing a conceptual bio-multiplexer component, which utilizes CB to form a bioelectrical nanonetwork and illustrate core functionalities primarily at the network layer. Within this theoretical framework, BioEN is positioned as a potential enabler for diverse scientific, environmental, and technological applications, including health and ecosystem biosensing and bioremediation-oriented bioengineering. This work is conceptual and does not experimentally validate a deployed nanonetwork; instead, it establishes the design principles, abstractions, and architectural foundations intended to guide future implementation and experimental verification of bioelectrical nanonetworks.
Kantelis et al. (Mon,) studied this question.