This smallest unit could be called a bean. This is what I would create: The possibility of And-Or-Not gates where 0s and 1s can be inserted. This is like electronics. A typical computer can be built from this.

Some other communication and bean-unit math could be useful. For example, in plants energy, moisture and light is transferred through paths or channels. Maybe the edges or branches of this system could divide value or tokens over multiple pathways influencing what happens in a new way from electronics.

Timing is an issue, or is it? Computers have a kind of beat they follow, but what if the system regulated its own happenings and quantum type functionality were available.