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DNA Computer Detects, Treats Disease
Arthur Dent '99 writes "According to this article at Reuters, Israeli scientists at the Weizmann Institute have developed a DNA computer which can automatically detect and treat prostate cancer and a form of lung cancer in laboratory experiments. Theoretically, a person could be injected with this computer, and it would detect and treat any diseased cells at the earliest stages of development, perhaps preventing the disease altogether."
...what happens if the computer gets a virus?
Would be a bit hard to swallow. I hope it's at least one of those small form factor [i.e. shuttle PC] designs.
...developed a DNA computer which can automatically detect and treat prostate cancer
That computer had damn well be running a stable version of Linux if it is operating on/near/in my colon!
Somehow knowing that a Windows machine could give me the "brown screen of death" doesn't sit easy with me!
i for one, welcome our new closed source gene modifying software overlords
Yes you're absolutely right. In fact according to the second page of the article, normal viruses as we know them are the "DNA computer viruses" you're talking about. They're essentially just strings of nucleotides...
When I saw the article title I thought, "Wow, DNA COMPUTER!" It's not quite a misnomer, but that name is certainly misleading. These computers don't have any hardware or non-organic components--they're basically just prearranged nucleotide sequences.
The concept is interesting nonetheless; these are computers in the sense that they function as finite automata. Anybody remember taking Computability in college? =)
Calling it a computer is a bit of a misnomer. It's a molecule that recognizes the presences of a specific signal to release a payload. That's it. It is of course a clever trick, but the word "computer" is just a device used by the science journalists to make it sound more interesting.
One day, in line at the company cafeteria, Jack says to Mike behind him, "My elbow hurts like hell. I guess I better see a doctor. " "Listen, don't waste time," Mike replies. "There's a diagnostic computer down at Asda. Just give it a urine sample and the computer'll tell you what's wrong and what to do about it. It takes ten seconds and costs five pounds. . . a lot quicker and better than a doctor. " So Jack deposits a urine sample in a small jar and takes it to Asda.
He deposits five pounds, and the computer lights up and asks for the urine sample. He pours the sample into the slot and waits.
Ten seconds later, the computer ejects a printout: "You have tennis elbow. Soak your arm in warm water and avoid heavy activity. It will improve in two weeks"
That evening while thinking how amazing this new technology was, Jack began wondering if the computer could be fooled. He mixed some tap water, a stool sample from his dog, urine samples from his wife and daughter, and masturbated into the mixture for good measure. Jack hurries back to Asda, eager to check the results. He deposits five pounds, pours in his concoction, and awaits the results. The computer prints the following:
1. Your tap water is too hard. Get a water softener.
2. Your dog has ringworm. Bathe him with anti-fungal shampoo.
3. Your daughter has a cocaine habit. Get her into rehab.
4. Your wife is pregnant. Twins. They aren't yours. Get a lawyer.
5. If you don't stop playing with yourself, your elbow will never get better. and thank you for shopping at Asda.
Instead of reading a vague description of their results try the following two links:
Summary from Nature's website
Original Aritcle in Nature
Bill
What they have done, which is cool, clever and generally admirable, is to add an input (detect protein A, or RNA strand B, etc.) that triggers an appropriate output (synthesise protein C, or make enzyme D to release drug E).
This is incredibly powerful - indeed it is 90% of the way to the 'magic bullet' that was the grail of cancer research a few years back (there's no method for delivery into the cell yet, but I'm sure a viroid shell for anti-cancer drugs is possible), and the guys deserve a Nobel prize for this if it lives up to its potential.
oh brave new world, that has such people in it!