D.Laxmi Jyothsna, D.

Sirisha,
2nd CSE, 2nd CSE,
Vignan’s IIT, Duvvada. Vignan’s IIT, Duvvada.
Desu_jyothsna@yahoo.co.in Sirisha_josh@yahoo.co.in
Abstract
A DNA computer is a molecular
meaningful way. A DNA computer has
computer that works biochemically. It
the same basic ability to store
“computes” using enzymes that react
information and compute solutions,
with DNA strands, causing chain
though its methodology is different in
reactions. The chain reactions act as a
that it works off molecular automations,
kind of simultaneous computing or
or preset reactions. Its greatest potential
parallel processing, whereby many
benefits might lie in different areas that
possible solutions to a given problem
those of electronic computers.
can be presented simultaneously with the
correct solution being one of the results.

Introduction
The word “computer” is somewhat
misleading in this context, as most
people think of a computer today as a
machine that can generate word
processing, produce spreadsheets,
display graphics, cruise the Internet and
play MP3 files. However, at its core, it is
a collection of electronic impulses
working across silicon-based circuitry.
Electronic computers store information
in binary form, then reassemble and
interpret that information in a
For example, a DNA computer is a tiny
liquid computer –- DNA in solution --
that could conceivably do such things as
monitor the blood in vitro. If a chemical
imbalance were detected, the DNA
computer might synthesize the needed
replacement and release it into the blood
to restore equilibrium. It might also
eliminate unwanted chemicals
disassembling them at the molecular
level, or monitor DNA for anomalies.
This type of science is referred to as
nanoscience, or nanotechnology, and the
DNA computer is essentially
nanocomputer.
The DNA computer is only in its early
stages of development. Though
rudimentary nanocomputers perform
computations, human interaction is still
required to separate the correct answer
out by ridding the DNA computer
solution of all false answers. This is
accomplished through a series
chemical steps. However, experts are
encouraged by the innate abilities of a
DNA computer and see a bright future.
Leonard Adleman, one of the pioneers of
the DNA computer, reports that a single
gram of dried DNA is capable of storing
the same amount of information as could
fit on one trillion CDs. This, along with
the benefits of parallel processing and
the negligible power required, guarantee
that the DNA computer, or
nanocomputer, will continue to be
refined and perfected. When molecular
computers become a reality,
by manipulation of matter at the level of
DNA will lead to many breakthroughs in
all areas of science, industry, and
medicine.
DNA computer makes its own
a energy
Scientists from the Weizmann Institute
of Science in Israel have come up with a
DNA computing device that provides its
own energy. The device uses DNA
molecules as both input data and as a
fuel source.
The device is an upgrade of a similar
machine that the scientists made about a
of
year ago, which used ATP molecules as
an energy source.
In this version of the automaton, DNA
molecules serve as input, output and
software. The restriction enzyme FokI
serves as the hardware, aiding the
cleavage of the input DNA molecule. It's
this cleavage that releases the energy to
drive the device. The input data ‘DNA computer’ cracks code
molecule is destroyed in the reaction, A ‘DNA computer’ has been used for the
while the software and hardware first time to find the only correct answer
molecules remain unchanged. from over a million possible solutions to
According to the researchers, a fixed a computational problem. Leonard
amount of software and hardware Adleman of the University of Southern
molecules can, in principle, process any California in the US and colleagues used
input molecule of any length without different strands of DNA to represent the
external energy supply. 20 variables in their problem, which
What's more, the ATP-free device works could be the most complex task ever
better than its ATP-consuming solved without a conventional computer.
predecessor. Under optimum conditions, The researchers believe that the
the device performed calculations at an complexity of the structure of biological
initial rate of 20 seconds per step per molecules could allow DNA computers
input molecule - about 50 times faster to outperform their electronic
than the previous system. The device counterparts in
also had a parallel processing Scientists have previously used DNA
performance about 8000 times better, computers to crack computational
10
conducting 6.646 x 10 operations per problems with up to nine variables,
second per ml. which involves selecting the correct
The scientists say that a 5 ml spoonful of answer from 512 possible solutions. But
"computer soup" could contain 15,000 now Adleman’s team has shown that a
trillion of the devices, in total similar technique can solve a problem
performing 330 trillion operations per with 20 variables, which has 220 - or 1
second, with 99.9% accuracy per step. 048 576 – possible solutions.
The computers would together release Adleman and colleagues chose
less than 25 µWatts in heat. an ‘exponential time’ problem, in which
each extra variable doubles the amount
of computation needed. This is known as
an NP-complete problem, and is
notoriously difficult to solve for a large
number of variables. Other NP-complete
problems include the ‘travelling
salesman’ problem – in which a any long strand with a ‘subsequence’
salesman has to find the shortest route
between a number of cities – and the
calculation of interactions between many
atoms or molecules.
Adleman and co-workers expressed their
problem as a string of 24 ‘clauses’, each
of which specified a certain combination
of ‘true’ and ‘false’ for three of the 20
variables. The team then assigned two
short strands of specially encoded DNA
to all 20 variables, representing ‘true’
and ‘false’ for each one.
In the experiment, each of the 24 clauses
is represented by a gel-filled glass cell.
The strands of DNA corresponding to
the variables – and their ‘true’ or ‘false’
state – in each clause were then placed in
the cells.
Each of the possible 1 048 576 solutions
were then represented by much longer
strands of specially encoded DNA,
which Adleman’s team added to the first
cell. If a long strand had a ‘subsequence’
that complemented all three short
strands, it bound to them. But otherwise
it passed through the cell.
To move on to the second clause of the
formula, a fresh set of long strands was
sent into the second cell, which trapped
complementary to all three of its short
strands. This process was repeated until
a complete set of long strands had been
added to all 24 cells, corresponding to
the 24 clauses. The long strands captured
in the cells were collected at the end of
the experiment, and these represented
the solution to the problem.
According to Adleman and co-workers,
their demonstration represents a
watershed in DNA computation
comparable with the first time that
electronic computers solved a complex
problem in the 1960s. They are
optimistic that such ‘molecular
computing’ could ultimately allow
scientists to control biological and
chemical systems in the way that
electronic computers control mechanical
and electrical systems now.
Think of DNA as software, and enzymes
as hardware. Put them together in a test
tube. The way in which these molecules
undergo chemical reactions with each
other allows simple operations to be
performed as a byproduct of the
reactions. The scientists tell the devices
what to do by controlling
composition of the DNA software
molecules. It's a completely different
approach to pushing electrons around a
dry circuit in a conventional computer.
To the naked eye, the DNA computer
looks like clear water solution in a test
tube. There is no mechanical device. A
trillion bio-molecular devices could fit
into a single drop of water. Instead of
showing up on a computer screen,
results are analyzed using a technique
that allows scientists to see the length of
the DNA output molecule.
"Once the input, software, and hardware
molecules are mixed in a solution it
operates to completion without
intervention," said David Hawksett, the
science judge at Guinness World
Records. "If you want to present the
output to the naked eye, human
manipulation is needed."
This serial method is the way a digital
electronic computer solves such
problem.
In contrast, a DNA computer operates in
parallel -- with countless molecules
shimmying around together at once. This
is equivalent to each car having a valet
inside who will listen to the customer
read his list over a PA system and will
the drive off the lot the moment his car fails
one of the conditions. By the time the
customer finishes his list, his dream car
will be waiting alone on the lot.
While the time needed to solve problems
of this class (called "NP-complete
problems") increases exponentially (2, 4,
8, 16 ... ) for serial computers, it
increases only linearly (2, 4, 6, 8 ... ) for
parallel computers.
In principle, then, the DNA computer
should outstrip the electronic computer
on savagely complex combinatorial
problems -- breaking encryption
schemes, for example. Unfortunately,
Adleman said, the DNA computer
currently is too error-prone to achieve its
great potential.
Adleman is often called the inventor of
DNA computers. His article in a 1994
issue of the journal Science outlined how
to use DNA to solve a well-known
mathematical problem, called the
a directed Hamilton Path problem, also
known as the "traveling salesman"
problem. The goal of the problem is to
find the shortest route between a number
of cities, going through each city only
once. As you add more cities to the
problem, the problem becomes more
difficult. Adleman chose to find the
shortest route between seven cities.
You could probably draw this problem
out on paper and come to a solution
faster than Adleman did using his DNA
test-tube computer. Here are the steps
taken in the Adleman DNA computer
experiment:
Strands of DNA represent the seven
cities. In genes, genetic coding is
represented by the letters A, T, C and G.
Some sequence of these four letters
represented each city and possible flight
path.
These molecules are then mixed in a test
tube, with some of these DNA strands
sticking together. A chain of these
strands represents a possible answer.
Within a few seconds, all of the possible
combinations of DNA strands, which
represent answers, are created in the test
tube.
Adleman eliminates the wrong
molecules through chemical reactions,
which leaves behind only the flight paths
that connect all seven cities.
The success of the Adleman DNA
computer proves that DNA can be used
to calculate complex mathematical
problems