Biocomputing systems based on carbon materials and DNA

Abstract

Biocomputing is an interdisciplinary field at the intersection of biology, informatics, and nanotechnology. Biocomputing nanoplatforms are sensor modules based on biomolecules that detect and process external stimuli as inputs and generate corresponding outputs. These platforms operate according to specific algorithms, often obeying the laws of Boolean algebra. Such systems are typically based on DNA logic interfaces due to their versatility in terms of design, synthesis, and potential input types. While DNA logic gates are typically implemented in homogeneous oligonucleotide solutions, creating various heterogeneous systems using organic or inorganic nanosystems offers advantages in designing and operating such logic systems. This review focuses on applying carbon-based materials, such as graphene, graphene oxide, carbon nanotubes, and carbon quantum dots, to DNA logic gates. For the first time, this article summarizes the entire body of literature on the topic, highlighting how the physicochemical properties of carbon-based materials can benefit the design and functionality of DNA logic gates. The review summarizes the main types of logic gates, describes the mechanisms underlying the interaction between DNA and carbon-based materials, and presents the logic gates described in the literature with respect to input signals. The review demonstrates that the versatility of these systems makes carbon-coupled DNA logic gates a promising platform for biocomputing, nanotechnology, and bioanalysis.