Blog: Dan E. Linstedt

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DNA Computing - Control over DNA Molecules

DNA computing is rapidly making strides in the nanotech industry. There is an interesting evolution with absolutely profound implications: control over a single DNA molecule via nano crystal antennae. The presentation is available for a small fee, but shows just what is possible. Imagine, a massively parallel computing engine at phenomenal speeds, controlling millions or billions of DNA molecules via radio signals.. Wow! How about a thumb drive with 10^8 terabytes of computing power in a couple grams of DNA solution? Searching this solution in less than 3 seconds for answers, computing within the solution in 3 to 10 seconds...

The presentation is on the MIT web site.
The implications are profound. The notion of controlling a single DNA molecule from a radio wave is incredible. Let's step off the edge, and look into the future, over the horizon - let's see if we can think of applications and implications of this technology within the DW / BI space. Beyond the obvious applications in bio-tech, and medical science, let's see what we can come up with.

The web blurb talks about the following:

Anyone can imagine controlling a model car or airplane with radio signals, remotely guiding the machine along a prescribed pathway. In this Knowledge Update, readers learn that the same is being done with DNA and other molecules. This Update describes the tools behind this molecular control, which relies on nanotechnology. In addition, readers learn how this technique can control the binding of DNA, which governs biological processes from cell division to switching genes on and off. Consequently, controlling bimolecular operations opens many possibilities, such as using this nano-control for genetic testing, building molecule-size devices that move on command, and much more.

Now, lets' dive into nano-computing for a moment: imagine a computing system containing a few grams of DNA - say within the size of a thumb drive for a USB port. Within that thumb drive are two things: modified DNA with nano crystal antennae, and a computing system that produces super short, very "weak" radio transmission waves; just enough of a wave to reach the localized DNA. Of course the frequency must be localized as well, and the radio wave must be too weak to travel outside the bounds of the thumb drive - maybe the inside of the thumb drive is coated with a shielding material that keeps the radio waves within the device.

Power consumption is low for this kind of thing. It would be very easy to "program" the DNA, especially since the radio waves cut, splice, and control on/off of the molecules. The challenge would be in reading the DNA results. Suppose there are two mechanisms available to "read results", one possibility might be based on a solution, encouraging and discouraging bonding based on ionization of the molecules - then the reading mechanism might be a segment of light that passes through the entire solution, and either shadow and/or intensity of shadow can produce a read-out of the result, or instead of light and colors, maybe additional radio waves are passed through the solution - ones that don't interact with the antennae, what bounces is read into an "imaging" device - the image is then interpreted by standard programmatic methods.

It is possible then, by combining existing technology with nanotechnology into a single device, to see how "exponentially hard" computational problems can be solved through a simple USB plug and play, and that existing technology can be used to "read" the answers, and send the signals in parallel to the actual computation engine. However, now that I think of it, why not use this for simple solutions too? Solved in parallel, all the DNA strands and programmable DNA molecules should come up with the same answer, every time.

Radio waves offer the dynamics of the same signal to each programmable element at the same time, using imaging and light/color/shadowing techniques - the solution could be "read". Localizing the radio waves and shielding the cover would minimize interference.

I'd love to hear from you, and see what you think of this future vision.

Thank-you,
Dan Linstedt

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