As we all know, a molecule is the smallest unit that maintains the chemical properties of a substance. Biomolecules are very good information processing materials. Each biomacromolecule itself is a microprocessor. The molecules change the state in a predictable way during the moving process. The principle is similar to the logic switch of a computer. Technology can be used to design quantum computers. Dr. Adelman of the University of Southern California applied biological experiment methods based on DNA molecular computing technology to effectively solve the problem that the computer cannot solve at present-“Hamilton Path Problem”, which enables people to deal with the information processing functions of biological materials and biological molecules. There is a further understanding of computing technology.
Although molecular computers are currently only in the ideal stage, scientists have considered using several biomolecules to make computer components, of which the bacteriorhodopsin is the most promising. The biological material has specific thermal, optical, chemical and physical properties and good stability, and its peculiar optical cycle characteristics can be used to store information, thereby playing a role in replacing today’s computer information processing and information storage. Throughout the photos circulation process, bacterial rhodopsin undergoes several different intermediate processes, accompanied by corresponding changes in material structure. Birge et al. Studied the potential parallel processing mechanism of bacterial rhodopsin molecules and the potential for use as a three-dimensional memory. By tuning the laser beam, information is written into and read from the bacteriorhodopsin cube in parallel, and the three-dimensional memory of the bacteriorhodopsin can provide a much larger storage space than the two-dimensional optical memory.
So far, no commercial molecular computer components have appeared. Scientists believe that the key to improving integration and manufacturing microcomputers is to find microdevices with switching functions. Syracuse University in the United States has used the bacteriorhodopsin protein to create a light guide AND gate, and a light-emitting gate to make protein storage. In addition, they also used bacterial rhodopsin proteins to develop central networks and associative storage devices that mimic the associative capabilities of the human brain.
The advent of nanocomputers will make a qualitative leap in today’s information age. It will break through the traditional limit and increase the capacity of storage and information processing per unit volume of substances by millions of times, thereby realizing yet another revolution in electronics.