A Model for Biomolecular Computing Using Enzyme Transistors

Abstract

This paper explores the possibility of constructing massively parallel computing systems using molecular electronics technology. By employing specificity of biological molecules, such as enzymes, new integrated circuit architectures which are essentially free from interconnection problems could be constructed. To clarify the proposed concept, this paper presents a functional model of a molecular electronic device called an enzyme transistor. Using enzyme transistors, various wire-free computing circuits can be realized. Examples described in this paper include basic analog amplifiers and digital logic circuits. This paper also demonstrates the potential of enzyme transistors for creating reaction-diffusion dynamics that performs useful computations in a massively parallel fashion. Prominent examples discussed in this paper are: (i) Turing pattern formation and (ii) excitable wave propagation in a two-dimensional enzyme transistor system.