DNA Based Computing

DNA was presumably selected for living organisms as a genetic material, its stability and predictability in reactions, DNA strings can also be used to encode information for mathematical systems.

To solve the Hamiltonian Path problem, the objective is to find a path from start to end going through all the points only once. This problem is difficult for conventional computers to solve because it is a 'non-deterministic polynomial time problem' (NP). NP problems are intractable with deterministic (conventional/serial) computers, but can be solved using non-deterministic (massively parallel) computers. A DNA computer is a type of non-deterministic computer. Dr. Leonard Adleman (1994) was struck with the idea of using sequences of stored nucleotides (Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), Thymine (T)) in molecules of DNA to store computer instructions and data in place of the sequences of electrical, magnetic or optical on-off states (0, 1 – Boolean Logic) used in today’s computers. The Hamiltonian Path problem was chosen because it is known as 'NP-complete'; every NP problem can be reduced to a Hamiltonian Path problem.