[TheAge]IBM scientists build computer chips from DNA - Page 3 - Overclock.net

Manji · 08-17-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3h_Ch33z_Muncha

I thought DNA was a type of protein?

They are chemically different and DNA is more complex than protein.

PsikyoJebus · 08-17-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by T3h_Ch33z_Muncha

so it in itself isn't a protein...

No. DNA is basically pure information storage. It's composed of completely different building blocks. Proteins are the workhorses of cellular function...they interact with anything and everything to make sure the cell keeps going. RNA is a weird intermediate between the two, in that it can both code for information (like transcripts that are read by a ribosome so proteins can be made) as well as have complex structure effector function like a protein (like ribosomes themselves that synthesize proteins, and small noncoding RNAs that are capable of doing things like silencing genes and cleaving more RNA....catalytic RNAs are also known as ribozymes). Since RNA has both functions it is thought to be the "ancestor" nucleic acid to DNA before proteins and DNA existed in this planet. It was thought that in this ancient "RNA world", only RNA existed and basically handled the function that proteins and DNA do today.

Also Manji, while the nucleic acid structure itself is more complex than the amino acid, the polymers of amino acids (proteins) are far more complex than the nucleic acid (DNA/RNA). Since there are 20 different amino acids that are mainly present in a protein, they are capable of far more complex interactions with both themselves and other molecules like DNA, lipids, metals, other proteins, etc. They form more complex secondary and tertiary structures (the understanding of which is the basis of F@H) which gives them way more versatility and function than nucleic acids.

samster25 · 08-17-09

lol DNA flame war

loony · 08-17-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by JKBenchmarks

DNA = protein

Can I eat my CPU when it dies?

WRONG!!! DNA is not Protein. Collagen is a Protein, DNA is not. Cells have 1/3 DNA and 2/3 Protein

M4DM4N · 08-17-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsikyoJebus

DNA is nucleic acid, not protein. Proteins are composed of amino acids....which are a little simpler in structure, but there's 20 primary ones compared to DNA's 4 main bases and thus proteins are far more diverse in structure and function.

I would honestly think that they would have used RNA here and not DNA for making "origami" out of a nucleic acid. There's this one technique that scientists use a lot in laboratories (called Selex) in which they can select for a particular structure or function of RNA without having to engineer anything (they literally use millions of different random stretches of RNA, find some way to select for a function that they want, and say "go!") and keep refining it with increasing amount of "selection cycles", or repetitions, of the technique. It's quite a fascinating thing if you want to look it up on google or something. The reason that I was thinking that RNA would be better suited is because it is capable of forming secondary ultrastructure on its own and have catalytic activity (ribosomes are probably the best example of this) whereas DNA is boring and basically stuck in a double helix formation. In eukaryotes DNA needs the help of special proteins called histones in order for it to supercoil and form ultrastructure like what happens when DNA gets condensed into chromatin.

Anyways, this was a cool article nonetheless!

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsikyoJebus

No. DNA is basically pure information storage. It's composed of completely different building blocks. Proteins are the workhorses of cellular function...they interact with anything and everything to make sure the cell keeps going. RNA is a weird intermediate between the two, in that it can both code for information (like transcripts that are read by a ribosome so proteins can be made) as well as have complex structure effector function like a protein (like ribosomes themselves that synthesize proteins, and small noncoding RNAs that are capable of doing things like silencing genes and cleaving more RNA....catalytic RNAs are also known as ribozymes). Since RNA has both functions it is thought to be the "ancestor" nucleic acid to DNA before proteins and DNA existed in this planet. It was thought that in this ancient "RNA world", only RNA existed and basically handled the function that proteins and DNA do today.

Also Manji, while the nucleic acid structure itself is more complex than the amino acid, the polymers of amino acids (proteins) are far more complex than the nucleic acid (DNA/RNA). Since there are 20 different amino acids that are mainly present in a protein, they are capable of far more complex interactions with both themselves and other molecules like DNA, lipids, metals, other proteins, etc. They form more complex secondary and tertiary structures (the understanding of which is the basis of F@H) which gives them way more versatility and function than nucleic acids.

Interesting read

Manji · 08-17-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by PsikyoJebus

No. DNA is basically pure information storage. It's composed of completely different building blocks. Proteins are the workhorses of cellular function...they interact with anything and everything to make sure the cell keeps going. RNA is a weird intermediate between the two, in that it can both code for information (like transcripts that are read by a ribosome so proteins can be made) as well as have complex structure effector function like a protein (like ribosomes themselves that synthesize proteins, and small noncoding RNAs that are capable of doing things like silencing genes and cleaving more RNA....catalytic RNAs are also known as ribozymes). Since RNA has both functions it is thought to be the "ancestor" nucleic acid to DNA before proteins and DNA existed in this planet. It was thought that in this ancient "RNA world", only RNA existed and basically handled the function that proteins and DNA do today.

Also Manji, while the nucleic acid structure itself is more complex than the amino acid, the polymers of amino acids (proteins) are far more complex than the nucleic acid (DNA/RNA). Since there are 20 different amino acids that are mainly present in a protein, they are capable of far more complex interactions with both themselves and other molecules like DNA, lipids, metals, other proteins, etc. They form more complex secondary and tertiary structures (the understanding of which is the basis of F@H) which gives them way more versatility and function than nucleic acids.

I was more concern in the chemically structure than the behavior difference between the two which I believe is more relevant to the topic.

Quote:

Originally Posted by samster25

lol DNA flame war

LOL but It was coincidental and I was explaining it in layman's term.

Knoxis · 08-17-09

wonder how they gonna stabilize the DNA for the chips to be built on... wouldnt heat eventually degrade the structure unless they have some kind of repair mechanism.... what if that goes wrong... unregulated repair... cancer on cpu chips.

T3h_Ch33z_Muncha · 08-17-09

Quote:

Originally Posted by Knoxis

wonder how they gonna stabilize the DNA for the chips to be built on... wouldnt heat eventually degrade the structure unless they have some kind of repair mechanism.... what if that goes wrong... unregulated repair... cancer on cpu chips.

would bring a whole new meaning to killing your CPU