Decision-Making Deoxyribozyme Networks

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

EIA-0218262 Milan N. Stojanovic Columbia University Decision-Making Deoxyribozyme Networks In this project, silicomimetic networks of enzymes are being developed. These networks will reproduce the functionality of individual silicon devices to perform Boolean algebra functions with analytical inputs and decision outputs and they represent first artificial autonomous decision-making sets of molecules with potential for incorporation into drug delivery or analytical systems. The computation components of these networks (i.e. "circuits") are being made modularly from deoxyribozyme-based logic gates (YESA, NOTA, AANDB, YESANOTB), which have oligonucleotides as inputs and outputs. Communication between individual molecular gates is being developed through connections in which an output oligonucleotide, formed or degraded by a catalytic action of an upstream gate, is an input allosteric effector of a downstream gate. This type of communication allows serial connection or tiling of individual elements. Computer program is being developed, which would aid in the construction of any decision-making tree from custom-made materials and then coupled to deoxyribozyme-based sensor arrays. For example, one analytical network under construction senses the presence of an oligonucleotide, a small molecule and a protein, and makes a decision to release or not a fluorescent signal.