Speaker support for workshop on advances in molecular programming and computing

来自美国学术机构的约15名研究人员参加为期三天的研讨会，题为“分子编程和计算的进展：走向化学作为一种新的信息技术”，旨在评估这一新研究领域的现状、前景和挑战。在其他资金来源的支持下，来自欧洲和亚洲国家的类似数量的研究人员将参加。鼓励主要行业代表的参与。研讨会的目标是阐明分子化学和生物化学的信息科学和技术方面的进步，从分子装置到DNA纳米技术到合成生物学，以及在工程（和自然）分子/化学/生物系统中涉及信息处理和可编程性的相关领域。具体目标是使这一新兴领域更加突出地引起美国和非美国资助机构的注意，从理论、科学、技术和应用的角度对其进行探索，并对其潜力和挑战提供公正的评估，为未来的决策提供信息。通过一份书面报告，连同原始研究和观点文章作为正式会议记录出版，研讨会将探讨化学和生物化学基质如何在下个世纪作为一种新的信息技术出现，并帮助阐明在这一领域开展积极研究活动的挑战、潜力和必要性。重点是在信息科学和技术方面拥有丰富经验的研究人员（和资助机构）将如何成为开发这一前沿领域的组成部分。智力优势：分子编程将为生物学、化学、材料科学和医学领域的重大挑战提供新的见解和解决方案。在制造业中，它将使自下而上的复杂产品制造成为可能（例如，从分子中生长的可编程材料和设备）；在生物工程中，它将为活细胞内可编程子系统的设计带来更深层次的计算机科学原理。所获得的知识将澄清计算与物理世界之间的关系——信息如何被分子存储和处理，计算和制造的极限，以及在给定能量成本下，计算或制造的速度有多快。虽然分子编程将利用计算机科学、控制理论、电子工程和生物工程等现有工具，但它也需要新的方法来分析复杂的程序、电路和分子网络。更广泛的影响：这次研讨会将扩大从事分子编程的科学家和工程师的网络，并将一个不同的研究人员社区聚集在一起，随着时间的推移，他们将建立这个领域。

Support is requested for the participation of ~15 researchers from US academic institutions for a three-day workshop, ``Advances in Molecular Programming and Computing: Toward Chemistry as a New Information Technology'', that aims to assess the current state, prospects, and challenges in this new research area. A similar number of researchers from European and Asian countries will be participating, supported by other funding sources. Participation from key industry representatives will also be encouraged.The objective of the workshop is to articulate a vision for the advancement of the information science and technology aspects of molecular chemistry and biochemistry, ranging from molecular devices to DNA nanotechnology to synthetic biology as well as related areas involving information processing and programmability within engineered (and natural) molecular / chemical / biological systems. The concrete goal is to bring this emerging frontier more prominently to the attention of both US and non-US funding agencies, to explore it from theoretical, scientific, technological, and application perspectives, and to provide an unbiased assessment of its potential and challenges that will inform future decision-making. Through a written report, published along with original research and opinion articles as a formal proceedings, the workshop will explore how chemical and biochemical substrates might emerge as a new information technology in the coming century, and help articulate the challenges, the potential, and the need for vigorous research activity in this area, with an emphasis on how researchers (and funding agencies) with deep experience in information science and technology will be integral to developing this frontier.Intellectual Merit: Molecular programming will provide new insights and solutions to grand challenges in biology, chemistry, materials science, and medicine. In manufacturing it will enable fabrication of complex products from the bottom-up (e.g., programmable materials and devices grown from molecules); in biological engineering it will bring deeper computer science principles to the design of programmable subsystems within living cells. The knowledge gained will clarify the relationship between computation and the physical world---how information can be stored and processed by molecules, the limits of what can be computed and fabricated, and how quickly computation or fabrication can be done for a given energetic cost. While molecular programming will leverage existing tools from computer science, control theory, electrical engineering, and bioengineering, it will also require new approaches to analyzing complex programs, circuits, and networks of molecules.Broader Impact: This workshop will expand the network of scientists and engineers working in molecular programming and bring together a diverse community of researchers who will, over time, build this field.