Using DNA to Compute -- a talk at Penn

[David Farber <farber () central cis upenn edu>]

   Penn Computational Biology and DIMACS Distinguished Lecture.
   ============================================================


                        Using DNA to Compute


                        Richard J. Lipton
                        Princeton University
                        Princeton, NJ 08540
                        rjl () princeton edu


Abstract: Last November Len Adleman showed how to use DNA to do a
special case the famous Travelling Salesman Problem (TSP). I then showed
how to do essentially any NP problem. Since then there has been great
interest and speculation on exactly what is the power of DNA based
computers. I will try in this talk to answer the question: Can DNA based
computers really compute millions of times faster than conventional
electronic ones. I will also attempt to summarize what is known already
about DNA computers.


        Time: Tuesday, 25th April: 4:30 -- 6:00 p.m.


        Place: 216, Moore School
               Department of Computer and Information Sciences
               University of Pennsylvania
               Philadelphia