Ribozymes as Molecular Logic Gates

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EIA-0218447Andrew D. EllingtonUniversity of Texas at AustinRibozymes as Molecular Logic GatesBiological macromolecules have the potential to perform computations. 'DNA computers' such as those pioneered by Adleman and his co-workers have already been shown to be able to perform simple calculations. However, these computers have for the most part been based on 'hybridization logic' involving base-pairing interactions between digitally encoded strands. The emphasis on 'hybridization logic' limits the utility and applicability of nucleic acid computation because there are very few ways to read in environmental conditions or read out answers.Nucleic acid enzymes (ribozymes) may prove to be the equivalent of the transistors or logic gates that underlie silicon computation, and could potentially increase the ultimate applicability of nucleic acid computation by interfacing directly with the environment and generating easily read answers. Ribozyme logic gates will be developed and integrated with mesoscale shape elements (known as MUFFINS) for the logical evaluation of sets of analytes in the environment.