Analysis of DNA Sequences by an Optical Time-Integrating Correlator: Proposal

摘要

This technical note presents a proposal to perform the analysis of DNA sequenceswith an analogue optical computer. The DNA analysis involves the computation of a massive amount of correlations. A time-integrating correlator is an ideal tool to perform that processing at a very fast speed. A design based on commercially available equipment is presented together with a comparison of the processing time of the system with conventional computer technology. The speed of this design is orders of magnitude greater than existing techniques. An overview of the technology already available for such a project is presented together with an outline of the areas that need more development.