MAYA-II
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MAYA-II (Molecular Array of YES and AND logic gates) is a DNA computer, developed by scientists at Columbia University and the University of New Mexico.
[edit] MAYA-II
Replacing the normally silicon-based circuits, this chip has DNA strands to form the circuit. It is said that the speed that can attain such DNA-circuited computer chips will not rival with silicon-based ones, they will be of use in blood samples and in the body and might part-take in single cell signaling.
MAYA-II is four times the size of MAYA-I with more than 100 DNA circuits and can now thoroughly play a game of tic-tac-toe. The arrangement of this device looks like that of a tic-tac-toe grid and consists of nine wells coated with culture cells. The cell-containing wells are filled with a solution that contain DNA strands coding for red or green fluorescent dyes.
This technology was used to deepen the quality of diagnostics given to patients infected with the West Nile virus. Joanne Macdonald, a Columbia University virologist, hopes this device can be implanted in the human body and control the presence of cancer cells or the levels of insulin for diabetic patients.
[edit] References
- Computer with DNA Circuits Plays Games; One Day to Go Diagnostic. Medgadget.com (October 16, 2006). Retrieved on 2006-10-20.
