Advancing theory and tools for molecular programming

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Molecular programming is the process of designing information-carrying molecules that react, or execute instructions, in purposeful ways. Nucleic acids - DNA and RNA molecules - are interesting to program because of their digital sequences and dynamic structural properties, and because they extend the reach of computational devices by naturally interacting with "wet" biological systems. Researchers in the field of molecular programming are tackling exciting engineering challenges such as building logic circuits, nanoscale structures and even molecular walking robots, from DNA and RNA sequences. In the coming decades, these technologies can offer significant payoffs, in transforming the ways in which we monitor and mediate molecular dynamics within the cell, or in developing "smart drugs" that could assess concentrations of disease indicators and respond accordingly.