Welcome! This website was created as part of a research project for a seminar in Stanford University’s Sophomore College 2003. The seminar, entitled The Intellectual Excitement of Computer Science, was taught by Professor Eric Roberts of the Computer Science Department, and President John Hennessy, current university president and professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Many thanks to both professors for a wonderful seminar, and to the SAs, Linda and Doug for being so supportive.

Our topic is DNA Computing, an exciting new field where scientists are exploring the computational power of biological molecules, in particular Deoxyribose Nucleic Acid, the basic molecule of genetic expression. Whereas a conventional computer represents information on silicon chips as a series of zeroes and ones, and manipulates the information by performing mathematical computations on them, a DNA computer represents information as a pattern of molecules in a strand of DNA. That information is manipulated by subjecting it to “precisely designed chemical reactions that may mark the strand, lengthen it, or even destroy it” (Kierman). The main purpose of our site is to look into the history and theory behind DNA computing and evaluate its future potential. Enjoy the demos and make sure to check out the links for more information!