DNA-based logic gates operating as a biomolecular security device

摘要

The first example of a nucleic acid-based molecular keypad lock has been constructed by taking advantage of the sequence-specific recognition ability of DNA and solid-phase substrates. Molecular computing is a research area that aims to develop alternatives to traditional silicon-based information processing systems, which could eventually lead to smaller and more energy-efficient devices.1 Logic gates provide the functional units of computers. Extensive research efforts toward the application of molecules and supramolecular structures to mimic the functions of individual logic gates have been recently demonstrated.2'3 However, limited studies dealing with the use of logic gates for complicated and functional devices, such as memory units, comparators, demultiplexers, half-adder, and full-adder performing digital operators, were reported.4'5 Scaling up the complexity of molecule-based logic gates remains a big challenge in this field.