SEOUL, April 22 (AJP) - A research team in South Korea has developed a molecular computer using DNA that is smaller than current two-nanometer semiconductors and can perform calculations while simultaneously storing information. Professor Choi Young-jae and his team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology created a bio-transistor that operates at a scale of 0.34 nanometers, which corresponds to the distance between DNA bases, the research institute said Wednesday.
Existing molecular DNA circuits have previously been used for simple tasks such as detecting the presence of cancer-related substances. However, these circuits were limited because they were consumable and could not be used again after a single reaction.
The new bio-memory circuit overcomes this limitation by allowing for continuous information processing. The researchers designed the DNA molecules to change their arrangement by binding or separating based on input signals, and the molecules maintain that state to store the result.
As semiconductor manufacturing reaches the two-nanometer level, the industry is approaching the physical limits of silicon-based technology. This has led to increased interest in molecular computing, which uses the natural properties of DNA to process information at a much smaller scale.
DNA is a candidate for high-density information processing because its bases are spaced only 0.34 nanometers apart. By using complementary base pairing, researchers can design specific reactions to occur with high precision.
The bio-transistor developed by the team allows for real-time calculation without the need for a separate reset process. This mimics the function of traditional silicon transistors, which control and amplify electrical signals to process and store data in modern electronics.
Professor Choi Young-jae said, "This research marks a significant step forward in the realization of molecular computers using DNA." He noted that the development could suggest new directions for the fields of bio-computing and medical technology as a whole.
The study included Professor Lim Seong-sun and researchers Kim Tae-hun, Jeong Sang-eun, and Kim Si-on from the KAIST Graduate School of Engineering Biology. They collaborated with Kim Woo-jin and Shim Jun-ho from the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST).
The research findings were published in the international journal Science Advances on April 1, 2026.
(Reference Information)
Journal/Source: Science Advances
Title: Reset-free DNA logic circuits for real-time input processing and memory
Link/DOI: https://science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aeb1699
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