Researchers Build Logic Gates With RNA 58
Ars Technica reports on research out of Cal Tech where scientists were able to create logic gates out of RNA molecules. Thus far, they've demonstrated AND gates and OR gates, with work proceeding on more complicated systems. The work shows promise for ability to easily detect the presence of particular chemicals. The abstract from the scientists' paper is available at Science. Quoting Ars:
"Detecting tetracycline isn't especially interesting, but RNA that binds to specific small molecules is actually relatively easy to make; repeated rounds of amplification and selection for binding can evolve these RNAs in a couple of days. This means that, in a matter of days, researchers can grow yeast colonies that glow in response to a variety of chemicals, or even to combinations of chemicals. More complicated circuits should be possible if the ribozymes are inserted into messenger RNAs that encode transcription factors, which could, in turn, regulate genes that encode yet other ribozymes."
Re:Uh oh... (Score:5, Insightful)
Completely wrong track I'm afraid.
Skynet is more cell phones, cash registers and anything with a system.
Matrix was more humans are batteries, but in this case we get to be both networked pods and large D cells.
Yes, it could be said that the matrix villains are far more green then the terminators. Marketing research shows that hippies prefer matrix type overlords.
Re:But what about NAND? (Score:3, Insightful)
Why restrict them to discovering a nand implementation? I was going to ask how close they were to implementing "not".
I'd rather ask the less restrictive question of how close they are to implementing a functionally complete set of gates in their process technology.
So for example this could be any of {nand}, {nor},{and,or,not}.
After all, it could be that in the RNA domain, building things out of all NANDs just isn't as efficient (in whatever sense they mean) as in static CMOS.