Biocomputation schemes based on the directed and directional movements of motile biological objects

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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: http://hdl.handle.net/1959.3/2421

Title: Biocomputation schemes based on the directed and directional movements of motile biological objects
Author(s): Nicolau, D. V., Jr; Nicolau, D. V.
Abstract: In earlier work, we proposed "computing with bio-agents", a new model of computation, of the distributed parallel type, based on the notion that motions of biological objects such as bacteria or protein molecular motors in confined spaces can be regarded as computations. Beginning with the observation that the geometric nature of thephysical structures in which model biological objects move modulates the motions of the latter, we inferred that by altering the geometry, one can control the characteristic trajectories of the objects and thus perform meaningful computations. In the present work we describe designed geometries and structures that can be used to achieve variouscomputational tasks in this framework. Specifically, we describe methods for solving difficult combinatorial problems from graph and number theory in an efficient way using bio-agents.
Publication type: Conference paper
Research centre: Swinburne University of Technology. Faculty of Engineering and Industrial Sciences
Source: Proceedings of the SPIE Biomedical Applications of Micro- and Nanoengineering II Conference, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, 13-15 December 2004, Vol. 5651, pp. 124-143
Publication year: 2005
Publisher: SPIE
ISBN: 081945611X
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.585074
Peer reviewed