Researchers Build Largest Biochemical Circuit out of Synthetic DNA Molecules

[Tank]

Researchers Build Largest Biochemical Circuit out of Small Synthetic DNA Molecules

ScienceDaily (June 2, 2011) — In many ways, life is like a computer. An organism's genome is the software that tells the cellular and molecular machinery -- the hardware -- what to do. But instead of electronic circuitry, life relies on biochemical circuitry -- complex networks of reactions and pathways that enable organisms to function. Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the most complex biochemical circuit ever created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube that are analogous to the electronic transistors on a computer chip...

...Qian and Winfree made several circuits with their approach, but the largest -- containing 74 different DNA molecules -- can compute the square root of any number up to 15 (technically speaking, any four-bit binary number) and round down the answer to the nearest integer. The researchers then monitor the concentrations of output molecules during the calculations to determine the answer. The calculation takes about 10 hours, so it won't replace your laptop anytime soon. But the purpose of these circuits isn't to compete with electronics; it's to give scientists logical control over biochemical processes...

Amazing! Biological computation!

[Stevil]

Researchers Build Largest Biochemical Circuit out of Small Synthetic DNA Molecules

ScienceDaily (June 2, 2011) — In many ways, life is like a computer. An organism's genome is the software that tells the cellular and molecular machinery -- the hardware -- what to do. But instead of electronic circuitry, life relies on biochemical circuitry -- complex networks of reactions and pathways that enable organisms to function. Now, researchers at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) have built the most complex biochemical circuit ever created from scratch, made with DNA-based devices in a test tube that are analogous to the electronic transistors on a computer chip...

...Qian and Winfree made several circuits with their approach, but the largest -- containing 74 different DNA molecules -- can compute the square root of any number up to 15 (technically speaking, any four-bit binary number) and round down the answer to the nearest integer. The researchers then monitor the concentrations of output molecules during the calculations to determine the answer. The calculation takes about 10 hours, so it won't replace your laptop anytime soon. But the purpose of these circuits isn't to compete with electronics; it's to give scientists logical control over biochemical processes...

Amazing! Biological computation!

Biological computation has been onEarth for Millions if not Billions of years. The amazing part is that they have synthesised it and learnt how to read it. Does this mean one day they will be able to read minds?

[xSilverPhinx]

That's really interesting. Thanks for adding.