On existence of reporter strands in DNA-based graph structures

Computing by molecular self-assembly

The paper reviews two computing models by DNA self-assembly whose proof of principal have recently been experimentally confirmed. The first model incorporates DNA nano-devices and triple crossover DNA molecules to algorithmically arrange non-DNA species. This is achieved by simulating a finite-state automaton with output where golden nanoparticles are assembled to read-out the result. In the second model, a complex DNA molecule representing a graph emerges as a solution of a computational problem. This supports the idea that in molecular self-assembly computing, it may be necessary to develop the notion of shape processing besides the classical approach through symbol processing.

Construction of a DNA nano-object directly demonstrates computation

We demonstrate a computing method in which a DNA nano-object representing the solution of a problem emerges as a result of self-assembly. We report an experiment in which three-vertex colorability for a six-vertex graph with nine edges is solved by constructing a DNA molecule representing the colored graph itself. Our findings show that computation based on "shape processing" is a viable alternative to symbol processing when computing by molecular self-assembly.