Israeli Scientists Develop Biological Computer Capable of Manipulating Genetic Code

Most days, we're content just hearing about a new operating system or tablet. But when you really think about it, it's raw science that delivers that kind of stuff to consumers. Scientists at the Technion-Israel Institute of Technology are digging deep into that science, and have developed a new biological computer. Specifically, they've engineered an "advanced biological transducer, a computing machine capable of manipulating genetic codes, and using the output as new input for subsequent computations." The trick? They're using only biomolecules such as DNA and enzymes.


"Our results show a novel, synthetic designed computing machine that computes iteratively and produces biologically relevant results," says lead researcher Prof. Ehud Keinan of the Technion Schulich Faculty of Chemistry. "In addition to enhanced computation power, this DNA-based transducer offers multiple benefits, including the ability to read and transform genetic information, miniaturization to the molecular scale, and the aptitude to produce computational results that interact directly with living organisms."

While it's all fairly theoretical right now, this kind of development holds a lot of promise. According to the report, it could create "new possibilities in biotechnology, including individual gene therapy and cloning."