Ever wondered what exactly resides inside your CPU? I am not talking about the ALU and the control unit stuff. You must have learned that when you were probably in 5th standard. The CPU is made up of Silicon, a metalloid that all of us have heard of.
In this article, we are going to go beyond the silicon chip convention and explore DNA computing. It’s probable that you have already heard of quantum computing, it’s the use of weird quantum properties like superposition and entanglement to perform computation. It’s fancy. Then, is DNA computing fancy? Heck yeah! DNA computing is an area of natural computing based on the concept of performing logical and arithmetic operations using molecular properties of DNA by replacing traditional carbon/silicon chips with biochips.
HISTORY OF DNA COMPUTING:
The very first person to propose the idea that we can ditch the conventional silicone chips and use individual atoms or molecules for computation, was RICHARD FEYNMAN-year 1959.
LEONARD ADLEMAN of the University of Southern California initially developed this field. Adleman demonstrated a proof-of-concept use of DNA as a form of computation which solved the seven-point Hamiltonian path problem also known as, traveling salesman problem . Since the initial Adleman experiments, advances have occurred and various Turing machines (watch the Imitation games for a better insight) have been proven to be constructible-year 1994.
LEONARD ADLEMAN
Source:- Image
WHAT IS DNA? :
Source :- Image
In simple words, DNA is an information carrier. But it’s important to understand the basics of DNA in order to understand how a DNA computer will work. Our genetic information in each cell is stored in molecules called nucleic acids. The most stable form of nucleic acids is called deoxyribonucleic acid or DNA. Each of the DNA strands forms helical structures that are long polymers of millions of linked nucleotides. These nucleotides consist of one of four nitrogen bases, a five-carbon sugar, and a phosphate group. The nitrogen bases - A (Adenine), T (Thymine), G (Guanine), C (Cytosine) encodes the genetic information while the others provide structural stability.
The strands are linked to each other by the Watson - Crick pairing rule, T with A and C with G. The arrangement of these bases is important as they decide the functionality of different genes and help us in solving problems.
HOW DNA CAN BE A COMPUTING COOL? :
DNA molecules can generate data several times greater than the most efficient human-built computing devices. DNA molecules are inexpensive, fairly simple to manufacture. Compared to standard devices, DNA computers take a radically different approach to fixing the issues. Modern electronic processors have to choose a route to follow when they come to a T-junction (remember the Road not taken by Robert Frost?), while a DNA computer doesn’t have to decide because it reproduces itself by following both directions at the same time. While quantum computing is getting a lot of attention lately, DNA computing can be just as powerful as quantum computing and it doesn’t have the uncountable number of stability constraints that quantum computing has.
HOW DNA COMPUTERS WORK? :
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In DNA computers, data is represented using the four-character genetic alphabet (A [adenine], G [guanine], C [cytosine], and T [thymine]), analogous to the bits (0 and 1) we use in silicon chip computers. An algorithm is therefore represented by DNA molecules with specific sequences, the instructions are carried out by laboratory operations on the molecules.
Normal computers use a series of logic gates that transform different inputs into a predictable output. With DNA, the way the molecules can be triggered to bind with each other can be used to create a circuit of logic gates in test tubes (yes! Logic gates in test tubes!) . In a method called DNA strand displacement, the input of DNA that binds to a DNA logic gate displaces a strand of DNA that serves as the output. Many gates can be combined in a circuit: each output DNA will bind to the next logic gate until some predictable terminal output strand is liberated.
Microsoft has developed a new programming language solely for DNA computing that it calls DNA Strand Displacement tool, which can be used to design the DNA sequences needed to run circuits and can model how the reactions will occur in each circuit.
ADVANTAGES OF DNA COMPUTING:
- Parallel computing: Modern computers don’t perform tasks in parallel; they follow something known as context switching. With DNA computers, parallel computing actually holds true.
- Humongous storage capacity: 1 gram of DNA can hold around 1x10^14 MB of data. For a quick comparison, if we need to store the same amount of data in CDs, the number of CDs required could circle earth 375 times!
- Energy efficiency: DNA computers are insanely energy efficient. Adleman had documented his DNA computer performing 2x10^19 operations per joule!
- Other advantages include: Minimal storage requirements, inexpensive, smaller than any existing computer.
HOW DNA COMPUTERS ARE USEFUL TO MANKIND?:
Silicon chip computers aren’t really getting replaced by quantum computers or DNA computers anytime soon. And even if you get access to one of these marvy creations of human beings, it’s unlikely that you could use it for daily use.
These computers are going to be mainly used for the computations of things that are beyond the scope of modern day computers. The field of DNA computing is an emerging concept still in its infancy stage and its applications are still being understood. DNA computing can be used to act along with the living cells to provide new detection methods in medical devices. DNA computers can take advantage of its parallel computing property by which it takes advantage of many different molecules of DNA to try many different possibilities at once. For specific types of problems, DNA computers are faster than any other computers.
see source : wikipedia
Jian-Jun Shu of Nanyang Technological University, China and his colleagues built a DNA GPS system and also conducted an experiment to show that magnetic fields can enhance charge transport through DNA(or protein), which may allow organisms to sense magnetic fields!
see source : wikipedia
TO CONCLUDE:
DNA computing is still in its development stage and requires a lot of research and time to actually be capable of contributing to humankind. We still are not sure of how to overcome the shortcomings of a DNA computer. It’s safe to conclude that silicone chip computers will not be replaced by these futuristic computers in the near future.
Tech giant well known for manufacturing computers, IBM has partnered with Caltech (California institute of technology) to manufacture DNA chips which are still under development. We can hope for the commercialization of exciting technologies like DNA computers and Quantum computers can be witnessed in the coming decade.