‘DNA wires’ promise future self-assembling computer devices
March 2, 2005 | Source: KurzweilAI
“DNA wires” may lead to low-cost, self-assembling devices for future computers.
Purdue University researchers brought together magnetic nanoparticles and DNA in solution, causing the DNA to be coated with the magnetic nanoparticles and forming a conductive “DNA wire.” They then used a BamH1 “restriction enzyme” to cause the DNA wire to be snipped in specific smaller lengths.
Because hundreds of different restriction enzymes snip segments containing specific sequences of genetic material, the method might be used in the future to cut DNA wires of varying lengths for building electronic devices.