Engineering News Blog

Engineering News

Latest news of interest to engineers. Sourced from GlobalSpec's Engineering News

Previous in Blog: Designing for Space: NASA's Industrial Designers   Next in Blog: Innovation is Key
Close
Close
Close
2 comments
Rate Comments: Nested

DNA Strands Modified Into Tiny Fiber-Optic Cables

Posted November 14, 2008 9:05 AM

From Slashdot:

New Scientist reports on the latest idea from researchers trying to make microcomputers use photons in place of electrons — to make optical interconnects from strands of DNA. Mixing DNA strands with the right dye molecule upgrades them into wires for light, like microscopic optical fibers, able to absorb photons at one end and transmit them to the other. One of the neat things about using DNA is it is the right scale to play nicely with existing and future chip lithography. Quoting: 'The result is similar to natural photonic wires found inside organisms like algae, where they are used to transport photons to parts of a cell where their energy can be tapped. In these wires, chromophores are lined up in chains to channel photons.

Read the whole article

Reply

Interested in this topic? By joining CR4 you can "subscribe" to
this discussion and receive notification when new comments are added.
Guru

Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Milky Way galaxy, Sol solar system, Earth (not Giaha), USA, WA, N.E.
Posts: 691
Good Answers: 13
#1

Re: DNA Strands Modified Into Tiny Fiber-Optic Cables

11/14/2008 12:48 PM

Are you saying it may be necessary to look in your genes to see the light?

__________________
They that do not learn from history and apply those lessons to the present are bound to repeat its failures.
Reply
Guru
New Zealand - Member - Interested in everything- see my Profile please APIX Pilot Plant Design Project - Member - Member Engineering Fields - Electrical Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Power Engineering - Member Engineering Fields - Civil Engineering - Member Hobbies - Musician - Autoharp and Harmonica Hobbies - Hunting - Member Hobbies - Fishing - Member

Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: Christchurch, (The Garden City), South Island, New Zealand
Posts: 4395
Good Answers: 230
#2

Re: DNA Strands Modified Into Tiny Fiber-Optic Cables

12/01/2008 12:45 AM

They'll need to be very careful when playing around with DNA.

Don't they realise that DNA is biological software?

Original Article is located here: http://www.newscientist.com/data/images/ns/cms/dn16029/dn16029-1_300.png

Kind Regards....

__________________
"The number of inventions increases faster than the need for them at the time" - SparkY
Reply
Reply to Blog Entry 2 comments

Previous in Blog: Designing for Space: NASA's Industrial Designers   Next in Blog: Innovation is Key
You might be interested in: DNA Sequencers, DNA Synthesizers, Hookup Wires

Advertisement