Thomas Mayer
AP Research
James Aya-ay
12 October, 2016
Biocomputing in the Human Body
INTRODUCTION:
There is an inherent problem with biotechnology interacting, medicinally, with the human body. For many years the traditional way of diagnosing, assessing, and administering drugs to combat diseases has been limited because technology used to do these tasks can be limited. Much research has been done trying to find alternative ways to somehow resolve these issues. One possible solution is to introduce a bio/DNA computer into the patient to help along diagnosis and possible treatment of particular diseases. A bio/DNA computer can be defined as a computational unit that operates off of DNA, biological molecules, or singular/networks of cells. …show more content…
These systems/computers could run test on possible diseased cells, and the patients as a whole and through chemical signals relay the information to a doctor, where further assessing can be done. Studies are being done on multiple other species to test the effectiveness of this approach, but in all, it is still a very complicated procedure. Biocomputers are a (preferred) solution, because there is a possibility to hold great amounts of data in a relatively small volume so size within the host will not be a problem. Structures have already been assembled using the DNA origami technique such as boxes, for drug delivery, and biosensors for actually detecting the issue in the host. These structures are a step towards actual implementation because bio sensors made out of DNA and other organic structures, could directly interpret and relay information for diagnosis using a modified Boolean logic (like true or false) of AND, OR, XOR, NOR, NAND, INHIBIT, XNOR. (wang). If biocomputers/biosensors used these logic operations, a chemical signal could be "picked up" and be evaluated directly if dangerous to the host. From there the sensors could tell the body to mount an immune …show more content…
Biosensors are defined as a system of cells, organic molecules, or DNA that is structured in such a way, like a gate, that it can pick up chemical signals in the blood stream in order to evaluate if there is a possible threat from within the host. As said previously these sensors would work as a gate, letting the normal function of the body carry out while monitoring. If any chemical signals are found the biosensors go through a series of operations of Boolean logic evaluating whether there is an immediate threat in the host.(Wang) This is an effective way of Biocomputing within a host because of its relative simplicity, compared to digital and electronic sensors which would require intricate inner mechanics. Also in the future these sensors could be self repairable which in turn would increase the effectiveness because of the decreased risk of malfunction. Along with sensing problems in the host, biosensors can also be used outside the host to help determine the source of many disease/bacteria outbreaks, which could help stop infection of person or population in the first place.
AP Research
James Aya-ay
12 October, 2016
Biocomputing in the Human Body
INTRODUCTION:
There is an inherent problem with biotechnology interacting, medicinally, with the human body. For many years the traditional way of diagnosing, assessing, and administering drugs to combat diseases has been limited because technology used to do these tasks can be limited. Much research has been done trying to find alternative ways to somehow resolve these issues. One possible solution is to introduce a bio/DNA computer into the patient to help along diagnosis and possible treatment of particular diseases. A bio/DNA computer can be defined as a computational unit that operates off of DNA, biological molecules, or singular/networks of cells. …show more content…
These systems/computers could run test on possible diseased cells, and the patients as a whole and through chemical signals relay the information to a doctor, where further assessing can be done. Studies are being done on multiple other species to test the effectiveness of this approach, but in all, it is still a very complicated procedure. Biocomputers are a (preferred) solution, because there is a possibility to hold great amounts of data in a relatively small volume so size within the host will not be a problem. Structures have already been assembled using the DNA origami technique such as boxes, for drug delivery, and biosensors for actually detecting the issue in the host. These structures are a step towards actual implementation because bio sensors made out of DNA and other organic structures, could directly interpret and relay information for diagnosis using a modified Boolean logic (like true or false) of AND, OR, XOR, NOR, NAND, INHIBIT, XNOR. (wang). If biocomputers/biosensors used these logic operations, a chemical signal could be "picked up" and be evaluated directly if dangerous to the host. From there the sensors could tell the body to mount an immune …show more content…
Biosensors are defined as a system of cells, organic molecules, or DNA that is structured in such a way, like a gate, that it can pick up chemical signals in the blood stream in order to evaluate if there is a possible threat from within the host. As said previously these sensors would work as a gate, letting the normal function of the body carry out while monitoring. If any chemical signals are found the biosensors go through a series of operations of Boolean logic evaluating whether there is an immediate threat in the host.(Wang) This is an effective way of Biocomputing within a host because of its relative simplicity, compared to digital and electronic sensors which would require intricate inner mechanics. Also in the future these sensors could be self repairable which in turn would increase the effectiveness because of the decreased risk of malfunction. Along with sensing problems in the host, biosensors can also be used outside the host to help determine the source of many disease/bacteria outbreaks, which could help stop infection of person or population in the first place.