Biologically relevant molecular transducer with increased computing power and iterative abilities.

As computing devices, which process data and interconvert information, transducers can encode new information and use their output for subsequent computing, offering high computational power that may be equivalent to a universal Turing machine. We report on an experimental DNA-based molecular transducer that computes iteratively and produces biologically relevant outputs. As a proof of concept, the transducer accomplished division of numbers by 3. The iterative power was demonstrated by a recursive application on an obtained output. This device reads plasmids as input and processes the information according to a predetermined algorithm, which is represented by molecular software. The device writes new information on the plasmid using hardware that comprises DNA-manipulating enzymes. The computation produces dual output: a quotient, represented by newly encoded DNA, and a remainder, represented by E. coli phenotypes. This device algorithmically manipulates genetic codes.

Encoding and processing of alphanumeric information by chemical mixtures.

A novel infochemical device that is based on (1)H NMR readout of chemical information is presented. This chemical encoding system utilizes two measurable parameters of homogeneous mixtures, chemical shift and peak integration, for three different applications: 1) a text-encoding device that is based on spectral representation of a sequence of symbols, 2) encoding of 21-digit binary numbers, each represented by an NMR spectrum, and their algebraic manipulations, such as addition and subtraction, and 3) encoding of 21-digit decimal numbers. The first application enables molecular information storage and encryption. The relative concentration of each component, as measured by the relevant peak integration, can represent a symbol. The second application of this system, in addition to its obvious memory capability, enables mathematical operations. The NMR spectrum of a given mixture represents a 21-digit binary number where each of the peaks encodes for a specific digit. In any of the input mixtures (numbers) each compound is either present or absent, representing either 1 or 0, respectively. We used the various binary numbers to carry out addition operations by combining two or more solutions (numbers). Subtraction operations were also preformed by digital processing of the information. The third application is the representation of decimal numbers. As before, each of the peaks encodes for a specific digit. In any of the input mixtures each compound is present in one of 10 different relative concentrations, representing the 10 digits of a decimal number.