(Technology Review) Christina Smolke and Maung Nyan Win researchers from California Institute of Technology have created molecular computers that are able to self-assemble out of strips of RNA within living cells. The research creates the possibility of computing devices capable of responding to specific conditions within a cell, and could lead to drug delivery systems that target cancer cells by sensing genes used to regulate cell growth and death.
Smolke and Win’s biocomputers are built from three main components–sensors, actuators, and transmitters–all of which are made up of RNA. The input sensors are made from aptamers, RNA molecules that behave a bit like antibodies, binding tightly to specific targets. Similarly, the output components, or actuators, are made of ribozymes, complex RNA molecules that have catalytic properties similar to those of enzymes. These two components are joined by yet another RNA molecule that serves as a transmitter, which is activated when a sensor molecule recognizes an input chemical and, in turn, triggers an actuator molecule.By combining the RNA components in certain ways, the researchers showed that they can get them to behave like different types of logic gates–circuit elements common to any computer. For example, an AND gate produces an output only when its inputs detect the presence of both drugs, while a NOR gate produces an output only when neither drug is detected.
Smolke and Win produce their device by encoding RNA sequences into DNA and introducing it into the cell. “So the cell is making these devices,” Smolke says. “RNA is actually a very programmable substrate.”
Computing with RNA
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George Bagropoulos
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on October 18, 2008
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