Scientist at Maynooth University in Ireland Created One of the most interesting DNA-based molecular computers ever created. The system is able to perform mathematical operations (addition, multiplication and division) using the natural mechanism of replicating DNA strands. The novelty is that the calculations are performed as if independently, similar to quantum annealing – we start it and then just wait for the results.
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This isn’t the first DNA-based “computer.” However, all previous methods are largely based on complex, time-consuming, energy-intensive processes that require control. Although they had certain advantages over “transistorized” computers, their future was murky.
In its most general form, the process relies on the self-assembly of many short strands of DNA around a long molecular backbone to program a task. new method This principle is also used, but the process is accompanied by a transformation of the system to the most favorable state. So, after the brief heating that kicks off the process, the molecules rearrange themselves, and the final DNA configuration becomes the calculated answer. In this case, the system does not require constant power or external control during calculations – everything happens on its own. The practical solution proposed was a thermodynamic computer using DNA.
In the experiment, the DNA computer executed ten different programs. Simple operations take about 30 seconds, while more complex tasks – such as adding 100-digit numbers with values in the tens of millions – take around 14 hours. The fact that the same solution can be used for dozens of consecutive calculations without significant deterioration in the results is also a breakthrough, since previously it had to be prepared again each time. And although such a computer is still inferior to an electronic processor, its advantages are also obvious – incredible parallelism and extremely low power consumption.
Researchers believe that future DNA computers can fill gaps that traditional electronics cannot fill: ultra-dense data storage, biocompatible computing devices and molecular systems that can operate in the body. Unlike silicon chips, DNA is both a carrier of information and a building material for computer systems. However, practical applications of such systems are still limited to laboratory conditions: speed, scale and reliable control of complex molecular reactions remain problematic.
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