BIC: EMT: Cooperative and Adaptive Behaviors By Molecular Robots

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Artificial molecular-scale robots capable of cooperative and adaptive behavior currently reside firmly in the realm of science fiction. However, we will demonstrate that molecules behaving similarly to macroscopic robots can indeed display simple forms of cooperation and adaptation, when challenged with certain tasks. These "molecular robots" which we call "snakes" consists of chains of nucleic acids incorporating multiple catalytic units. They move ("walk") over landscapes covered with substrates, leaving a trail of cleaved substrates behind them. We will study the ability of these molecular robots to integrate additional catalytic segments (limbs) from the solution, or to form dimers, when we force them to perform longer walks. Those snakes that acquire additional limbs, or form cooperating dimers, while surviving harsh conditions, will be allowed to amplify. Such experiments will help create in the future molecular robots that display swarm intelligence and that are capable of distributive computing.