DNA computing: DNA circuits and data storage

Abstract

Computation has consistently served as a significant indicator and direction of social development, and volume, speed, and accuracy are critical factors during development. To accelerate this computational process, various advanced technologies and constantly optimized computational methods have been developed, such as upgrading chip design and proposing quantum and photonic computing. Recently, DNA computing, as a unique computational model distinct from traditional methods, offers remarkable advantages and addresses problems that are difficult to solve with conventional computing. By designing DNA molecules and utilizing their spontaneous reactions, specific types of complex problems can be solved, such as combinatorial optimization, traveling salesman, Sudoku and other nondeterministic polynomial time (NP) problems. Based on the spontaneity of reactions, this type of computation exhibits high parallelism, making DNA computing a viable solution for high-complexity problems. This review presents an overview of the theoretical foundations of DNA computing and summarizes three distinct advantages to over traditional computing: high parallelism, efficient storage, and low energy consumption. Furthermore, based on these advantages, we assess the current state of development in two critical branches of DNA computing: DNA circuit and DNA information storage, and provide unique insights for the future development of DNA computing.