Monday, July 12

MS12
DNA Computing: Arrival of Biological Mathematics

2:00 PM-4:00 PM
Room: Sidney Smith 2127

DNA computing is a new computation paradigm which proposes the use of (bio)molecules to solve computational problems: the main idea is that data can be encoded in DNA strands, and molecular biology tools can be used to simulate logical and arithmetical operations. Besides the novelty and mathematical interest of the approach, computing with biomolecules has in some cases the potential to outperform electronic computers. Indeed, computing with DNA uses a billion time less energy than an electronic computer, and DNA stores data in a trillion times less space than a magnetic tape. Moreover, computing with DNA is highly parallel: in principle there could be billions or trillions of DNA molecules undergoing chemical reactions, that is, doing computations, at the same time. Last, but not least, probing the limits of biomolecular computation could lead to new insights into computational processes occurring in nature.

2:00 DNA Computing: Arrival of Biological Mathematics

Lila Kari, Organizer

2:30 DNA Implementation of State Machines

Masami Hagiya, University of Tokyo, Japan

3:00 The Challenge of Scaling in Biomolecular Computation

John H. Reif, Duke University

3:30 DNA Computers and Molecular Evolution

Laura Landweber, Princeton University