ACM TechNews

Caltech Researchers Awarded $10 Million for Molecular Programming Project

California Institute of Technology (08/18/08)

The Molecular Programming Project, a collaborative research effort by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) and the University of Washington, has been awarded $10 million by the National Science Foundation's Expeditions in Computing program. The Molecular Programming Project aims to establish a fundamental approach to the design of complex molecular and chemical systems based on the principles of computer science. The researchers will develop tools and theories for molecular programming that will enable a systematic design and implementation in the laboratory. The researchers say molecular programs could one day be used to manufacture nanoscale objects, create biochemical circuitry, explore the inner workings of a cell, and act as "programmable therapies" that can be placed within living cells to diagnose and respond to diseases. "Our project is a response to the fact that the molecular systems people are building today are now so complex, and their behavior so intricate, that future progress hinges on developing the intellectual and practical tools for mastering that complexity, the kinds of tools that computer science has already developed for silicon computers," says principal investigator and Caltech professor Erik Winfree.

http://mr.caltech.edu/media/Press_Releases/PR13176.html

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