Computers running on DNA may be moving closer to being practical devices.
We could back up the entire internet with a gram of DNA
Researchers at a South Korean university recently found a way to create a DNA-based chip that can control a personal computer to perform calculations, according to a new research paper. The team used 3D printing to create a chip that can perform Boolean logic, one of the fundamental methods of computer programming. It’s the latest step in the growing field of DNA computing, which has been stagnant for decades but shows promise.
“Unlike digital computers, DNA computers could potentially expand and extend our capabilities in the future, allowing us to go beyond just electronics,” Hieu Bui, a professor who studies DNA computing at The Catholic University of America and was not involved in the research, told Lifewire in an email interview.
For example, Bui said, a DNA computer "can take biomarkers such as DNA or RNA sequences as input and produce useful bioinformation (e.g., cell counts, blood types, etc.) as output."
