Molecular Computing and Micro/Nanobots

Question 1

Advantages and disadvantages to DNA as storage and computation

Answer 1

\+
Very high information density
Very little energy required to keep it stored (just stop denaturing)
Long lasting
Parallel processing

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Currently:
Long read and write speeds
Technology to have your own reader/writer far off
Expensive
Error prone and difficult to reproduce
Application specific - hard to engineer and then read
Simple problems probably better solved conventionally
Manual intervention by humans often required

Question 2

How could you encode the following function in chemical reaction using species X1, X2, Y and N?

x2 >= x1

f(x1)=2x1

f(x1,x2)=min(x1,x2)

f(x1,x2)=x1+x2

f(x1)=x1/2

Answer 2

X2 + N -> Y
X1 + Y -> N

X1 -> Y+Y

X1 + X2 -> Y

X1 -> Y
X2 -> Y

X1 + X1 -> Y

Question 3

How can DNA origami be used medically?

Answer 3

As a container to directly deliver drugs in a more focussed way