Towards practical biomolecular computers using microfluidic deoxyribozyme logic gate networks

Abstract

We propose a way of implementing a biomolecular computer in the laboratory using deoxyribozyme logic gates inside a microfluidic reaction chamber. We build upon our previous work, which simulated the operation of a flip-flop and an oscillator based on deoxyribozymes in a continuous stirred-tank reactor (CSTR). Unfortunately, using these logic gates in a laboratory-size CSTR is prohibitively expensive, because the reagent quantities needed are too large. This motivated our decision to design a microfluidic system. We would like to use a rotary mixer, so we examine how it operates, show how we have simulated its operation, and discuss how it affects the kinetics of the system. We then show the result of simulating both a flip-flop and an oscillator inside our rotary mixing chamber, and discuss the differences in results from the CSTR setting. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2006.