Membrane computing schema: A new approach to computation using string insertions

In this paper, we introduce the notion of a membrane computing schema for string objects. We propose a computing schema for a membrane network (i.e., tissue-like membrane system) where each membrane performs unique type of operations at a time and sends the result to others connected through the channel. The distinguished features of the computing models obtained from the schema are: 1. only context-free insertion operations are used for string generation, 2. some membranes assume filtering functions for structured objects (molecules), 3. generating model and accepting model are obtained in the same schema, and both are computationally universal, 4. several known rewriting systems with universal computability can be reformulated by the membrane computing schema in a uniform manner. The first feature provides themodel with a simple uniform structure which facilitates a biological implementation of the model, while the second feature suggests further feasibility of the model in terms of DNA complementarity. Through the third and fourth features, one may have a unified view of a variety of existing rewriting systems with Turing computability in the framework of membrane computing paradigm.