December 1, 2008

Smart DNA: Programming the Molecule of Life for Work and Play

An article in Scientific American for November 2008 reported on logic gates made from DNA.

  • DNA molecules can act as elementary logic gates analogous to the silicon-based gates of ordinary computers. Short strands of DNA serve as the gates’ inputs and outputs.
  • Ultimately, such gates could serve as dissolved “doctors”—sensing molecules such as markers on cells and jointly choosing how to respond.

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