ABSTRACT

Molecular engineering is an emerging field that enabled the construction of analogous electrical circuits and computing structures using networks of molecules. These molecular networks mirror the behavior of a logic gate – which is the basic computing element and information gatekeeper of traditional computers. In this chapter the computational principles of DNA molecular computing are introduced and examined in terms of Boolean logic and basic automata. The biomolecular nature of DNA-based automata also provides a new paradigm for battery-free biosensing. In addition, molecular computing systems remove the need for external devices to separately interpret the resultant biomolecular signals. The technology could provide a connection from biosensing to therapeutics, enabling molecular networks that could be programmed to adapt and change to external stimuli, eliminating the need for any human interaction or intervention. In addition, technical challenges in exploiting DNA-based computing components in the next-generation smart biosensors are discussed.