Scientists have programmed DNA to calculate multiple GPS routes at the same time.
Credit: American Chemical Society
Conventional silicon-based computing, which has advanced by leaps and bounds in recent decades, is pushing against its practical limits.
DNA computing could help take the digital era to the next level. Scientists are now reporting progress toward that goal with the development of a novel DNA-based GPS. They describe their advance in ACS’ The Journal of Physical Chemistry B.
Jian-Jun Shu and colleagues note that Moore’s law, which marked its 50thanniversary in April, posited that the number of transistors on a computer chip would double every year. This doubling has enabled smartphone and tablet technology that has revolutionized computing, but continuing the pattern will come with high costs. In search of a more affordable way forward, scientists are exploring the use of DNA for its programmability, fast processing speeds and tiny size. So far, they have been able to store and process information with the genetic material and perform basic computing tasks. Shu’s team set out to take the next step.
The researchers built a programmable DNA-based processor that performs two computing tasks at the same time. On a map of six locations and multiple possible paths, it calculated the shortest routes between two different starting points and two destinations. The researchers say that in addition to cost- and time-savings over other DNA-based computers, their system could help scientists understand how the brain’s “internal GPS” works.
The Latest on: DNA computing
via Google News
The Latest on: DNA computing
- DNA machines get a move onon January 26, 2021 at 1:43 am
The hope is that, one day, man-made molecular machines will routinely enter our bodies to carry out tasks such as delivering drugs, completing diagnoses and conducting surgical procedures.
- DNA puts a name to one of the last unidentified victims of the Green River killeron January 25, 2021 at 9:33 pm
"Jane Doe B10" was one of four unidentified victims of Gary Ridgway, known as the Green River Killer. More than three and a half decades later, she's been identified as Wendy Stephens, who was 14 when ...
- Four murders, then the breakthrough: How DNA led to this serial killings suspect in Floridaon January 24, 2021 at 5:10 am
Prosecutors say they hope to show a jury DNA and other evidence that Robert Tyrone Hayes is a serial killer who murdered three women in Daytona Beach in late 2005/early 2006, then killed another woman ...
- 'Outrageous' that data deleted from main UK police computer database, PM Johnson sayson January 20, 2021 at 1:18 pm
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Wednesday it was "outrageous" that hundreds of thousands of police records had been deleted due to a human coding error with the Police National Computer.
- ‘Human Error’ Wipes 1000s of Police Computer Recordson January 19, 2021 at 5:47 pm
Human Error’ Wipes 1000s of Police Computer Records. LONDON (AP) - The UK police secretary said on Monday that "human error" has ...
- UK says 'human error' wiped 1000s of police computer recordson January 18, 2021 at 9:03 am
Britain’s policing minister says “human error” led to hundreds of thousands of DNA records and other data on criminal suspects being erased from the national police computer ...
- What the loss of records from the Police National Computer means | Policeon January 15, 2021 at 6:38 am
What the loss of records from the Police National Computer means | Police. Fingerprint, DNA and Arrest History records have been ...
- Scientists Write ‘Hello World’ in Bacterial DNA With Electricity and CRISPRon January 15, 2021 at 4:13 am
A study published on January 11 in the journal Nature Chemical Biology details how the researchers led by Columbia University systems biologist Harris Wang used electricity and the DNA editing tool ...
- What the loss of records from the Police National Computer meanson January 15, 2021 at 3:41 am
Fingerprint, DNA and arrest history records have been accidentally deleted from databases linked to the Police National Computer (PNC). Here we take a look at what the PNC is used for and the ...
- UPDATED: DNA Computer Server Moved to Santa Feon December 29, 2020 at 4:00 pm
A computer server that contains data on DNA samples and other information was escorted to DPS headquarters by a federal contractor and a State Police officer. Left behind were 70,000 paper records ...
via Bing News
