“FACT IS ALWAYS STRANGER THAN FICTION”

MANU NAIR
COMPUTER SCIENCE &ENGINEERING

SEMESTER: 7
 INTRODUCTION

• Growing needs of mankind-Rapid

Development.
• Rapid advancement in computer
technology will
lose its momentum when silicon chip
reaches its full capacity & miniaturization
• Solving complex problems which today's
supercomputers are unable to perform in
stipulated period of time.
WHAT COULD BE A REMEDY TO THIS
CONCERN?????
 What is Biological Computer?
• Biological Computers are computers
which use synthesized biological
components to store and manipulate
data analogous to processes in the
human body.
• The result is small yet faster
computer that operates with great
accuracy.
• Main biological component used in a
Biological Computer is :
 What is DNA?
• DNA Stands for DeOxyRiboNucleic
Acid.
• A hereditary material found in almost
all living organisms.
• Located inside the nucleus of a cell.
• Helps in long term storage of
information.
• Information in DNA is stored as a
code made of four chemical bases
(A,T,G & C).
 Structure of DNA
• The two strands of
DNA molecule are
anti parallel where
each strand runs in
opposite direction
• Complementary base
pairs
Adenine(A) &
Thymine(T)
Guanine(G) &
Cytosine(C).
• Two strands are held
together by weak
Graphical Representation of Inherent Bonding Properties
of
DNA
 What is a DNA Computer?
DNA Computers are small, fast and
highly efficient computers which
includes the following properties:-

• Dense data storage.

• Massively parallel computation.
• Extraordinary energy efficiency.
 How Dense is the Data Storage?
• with bases spaced at 0.35 nm along
DNA, data density is over a million
Gbits/inch compared to 7 Gbits/inch
in typical high performance HDD.
• Check this out………..
 Some Facts…
 This image shows 1 gram of
DNA on a CD. The CD can
hold 800 MB of data.

 The 1 gram of DNA can hold

about 1x1014 MB of data.

 The number of CDs required

to hold this amount of
information, lined up edge to
edge, would circle the Earth
375 times, and would take
1630 centuries to listen to.
How Enormous is the Parallelism?

• A test tube of DNA can contain

trillions of strands. Each operation on
a test tube of DNA is carried out on
all strands in the tube in parallel !
• Check this out……. We Typically use
How Extraordinary is the Energy
Efficiency?

• Modern supercomputers only

operate at 109 operations per joule.
• Adleman figured his computer was
running
2 x 1019 operations per joule.
 Adleman-
Inventor of Biological Computers

• His article released in 1994,described how

to use DNA to solve a well-known
mathematical problem, called the directed
Hamilton Path problem.
• 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.
 Steps in Adleman’s 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
 Extraction

Spooling the DNA with a metal

hook or similar device

Precipitation of more DNA

strands in alcohol

Formation of DNA strands.

 Hamilton Path Problem
(also known as the travelling salesperson problem)

Darwin

Perth Alice Spring Brisbane

Sydney

Melbourne

Is there any Hamiltonian path from Darwin to Alice Spring?

 Adleman’s Experiment (continued…)
• Encode each city with complementary base - vertex
molecules
Sydney - TTAAGG
Perth - AAAGGG
Melbourne - GATACT
Brisbane - CGGTGC
Alice Spring - CGTCCA
Darwin - CCGATG
Adleman’s Experiment (continued…)

• Encode all possible paths using the

complementary base – edge molecules
Sydney  Melbourne – AGGGAT
Melbourne  Sydney – ACTTTA
Melbourne  Perth – ACTGGG
etc…
Adleman’s Experiment (continued…)

• Merge vertex molecules and edge molecules.

All complementary base will adhere to each
other to form a long chains of DNA molecules
Solution with Merge Solution with
vertex DNA & edge DNA
molecules Anneal molecules

Long chains of DNA molecules (All

possible paths exist in the graph)
Adleman’s Experiment (continued…)

• Select a path that starts with proper

city and ends with final city.

• Select paths with correct number of

cities.

• Select path which contains each city

only once.
 Adleman’s Experiment (continued…)

• The solution is a double helix molecule:

Darwin Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Perth Alice Spring

CCGATG – CGGTGC – TTAAGG – GATACT – AAAGGG – CGTCCA

TACGCC – ACGAAT – TCCCTA – TGATTT – CCCGCA

Darwin Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Perth

Brisbane Sydney Melbourne Perth Alice Spring

Hence Adleman proved DNA can be used to solve complex

problems……….
Conventional vs. Biological Computers

Conventional Biological

Component Inorganic, e.g. silicon Biological, e.g.

materials DNA
Processing scheme Sequential and limited Massively parallel
massively parallel
Current max. 1012 Op.s per sec. 1014 Op.s per sec.
operations
Quantum effects a Yes No
problem?
Toxic components? Yes No
Energy efficient? No Yes
 Applications
• Can be a general purpose tool for a variety
of problems
• Many possible applications:
Pattern recognition
Cryptography
Evaluating gene sequence
• Medical Application: ‘developing disease’
treatments such as cancer
• Taiwan introduced the world's first
DNA authentication chip & was used
for national identification cards in
order to crack down on frauds using
fake ID cards. 
Advantages of Biological Computers

Parallel Computing- Biological computers are massively

parallel.

Incredibly light weight- With only 1 LB of DNA you have

more computing power than all the computers ever made.

Low power- The only power needed is to keep DNA from

denaturing.

Solves Complex Problems quickly- A DNA computer can

solve hardest of problems in a matter of weeks.
 Advantages (Continued…)

•Perform millions of operations simultaneously.

•Generate a complete set of potential solutions.

• Efficiently handle massive amounts of working memory.

•cheap, clean, readily available materials.

•amazing ability to store information.

 Limitations
•Error: Molecular operations are not perfect.

•Efficiency: How many molecules contribute?

•Encoding problem in molecules is difficult

•DNA computing involves a relatively large amount of error.

•As size of problem grows, probability of receiving incorrect answer

eventually becomes greater than probability of receiving correct
answer

•Reliability- There is sometime errors in the pairing of DNA strands

•DNA in vitro decays through time, so lab procedures should not

take too long.
 The Future
Algorithm used by Adleman for the traveling salesman problem
was simple. As technology becomes more refined, more efficient
algorithms may be discovered.

DNA Manipulation technology has rapidly improved in recent

years, and future advances may make DNA computers more
efficient.

The University of Wisconsin is experimenting with chip-based

DNA computers.
 THANK YOU!!!

It will take years to develop a practical,

workable Biological Computer.

But…Let’s all hope that this DREAM comes

true!!!

MANU NAIR
I have taken reference from all sources
in internet….& thank all those
sources