DNA "Computer” May Lead to Better Diagnostics

Representing the first "medium-scale integrated molecular circuit,” a new DNA-based computer is the most powerful computing device of its type to date, and the developers believe it could lead to faster, more accurate tests for diagnosing West Nile virus and avian flu, as well as other diseases.

Called Maya-II (Molecular Array of Yes And logic gates), the computer's circuits consist of DNA instead of silicon. The system was developed by a team of scientists at Columbia University Medical School (New York, NY, USA) and the University of New Mexico (Albuquerque, NM, USA). Their work was reported in the November 2006 issue of Nano Letters (American Chemical Society).

"These DNA computers won't compete with silicon computing in terms of speed, but their advantage is that they can be used in fluids, such as a sample of blood or in the body, and make decisions at the level of a single cell,” explained Joanne Macdonald, Ph.D., a virologist at Columbia University's department of medicine, who led the research team.

Dr. Macdonald is currently using the technology to improve disease diagnostics for West Nile virus by building a device to quickly and accurately distinguish between various viral strains, and she hopes to use similar techniques to detect new strains of avian flu. In the future, she foresees that DNA computers could conceivably be implanted in the body to both diagnose and kill cancer cells or monitor and treat diabetes by dispensing insulin when needed. Maya-II is composed of more than 100 DNA circuits and consists of nine cell-culture wells arranged in a pattern that resembles a tic-tac-toe grid. Each well contains a solution of DNA material that is coded with red or green fluorescent dye.

Dr. Macdonald and her associates showcase the computer's potential by engaging Maya-II in a game of tic-tac-toe against human opponents. Maya-II wins every time except in the rare event of a tie.



Related Links:
Columbia University Medical School
University of New Mexico