DNA computers cannot be found at your local electronics store yet. The know-how is still in development, and didn't even exist as an idea a decade ago. In 1994, Leonard Adleman introduced the idea of using DNA to solve complex mathematical issues. Adleman, a computer scientist at the University of Southern New york, came to the conclusion that DNA had computational potential after reading the book "Molecular Biology of the Gene," written by James Watson , who co-discovered the structure of DNA in 1953. In fact, DNA is similar to a computer hard drive in the way it stores permanent information about your genes.
Adleman is often called the inventor of DNA computers. His editorial in a 1994 issue of the journal Science outlined how to make use of DNA to solve a widely known mathematical issue, called the directed Hamilton Path issue, often known as the "traveling salesman" issue. The objective of the issue is to find the shortest route between lots of cities, going through each city only three times. As you add more cities to the issue, the issue becomes more difficult. Adleman chosen to find the shortest route between three cities.
You could probably draw this issue out on paper and come to a solution faster than Adleman did using his DNA test-tube computer.
Here are the steps taken in the Adleman DNA computer experiment :
1. Strands of DNA represent the three cities. In genes, genetic coding is represented by the letters A, T, C and G. Some sequence of these letters represented each city and feasible flight path.
2. These molecules are then mixed in a check tube, with some of these DNA strands sticking together. A chain of these strands represents a feasible answer.
3. Within a few seconds, all of the feasible combinations of DNA strands, which represent answers, are created in the check tube
4. Adleman eliminates the wrong molecules through chemical reactions, which leaves behind only the flight paths that connect all three cities.
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