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DNA-based electrical circuits are almost a thing of the present
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| Electrical circuits made from DNA have been a theoretical possibility – and never created – until now. What could this mean for the future of computing?
Excerpt from techtimes.com
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Electrical circuits based on DNA could soon become a reality. Computer circuits could be designed based on the genetic structure of all living beings, providing processors significantly faster than current technology.
Computers have become smaller over the last sixty years, as well as more powerful. Transistors are critical to the operation of the machines, but a minimum distance between the components is required to prevent interference between the devices. This has limited designers from creating processors much smaller than modern technology.
Molecular electronics could get around this challenge, if researchers could find a way to develop molecules that self-assemble into complex circuits. So far, that has not been achieved by any of the groups working on the task. The only molecules that self-organize in complex forms in nature are DNA, making these structures obvious choices for researchers looking to develop electrical processors. However, no large DNA molecules have been successfully shown to carry an electrical signal in a manner which could prove useful in a processor.
Hebrew University of Jerusalem researchers collaborated with other scientists from around the world to develop four strands of DNA capable of carrying such a charge.
Researchers believe this could be the greatest breakthrough in DNA-based electrical circuits in the last ten years.
Source: http://www.ascensionearth2012.org/2014/10/dna-based-electrical-circuits-are.html
