If less than a week ago the union between biology and computer science surprised us with the news of a programming language capable of transforming cells without the need for genetic engineering, in recent days it has been the convergence between biology and electronics that has left us with our mouths open.
And it is that a group of researchers from the University of Georgia has made a discovery that, if implemented, would be a great revolution in the field of electronic, since it greatly reduces the size of the diodes, used to direct the electric current in One way.
Commonly used diodes are very effective; But, sometimes, its size is an obstacle, so the search for smaller devices has become the target of many studies such as this, published in Nature Chemistry.
What is a diode?
As I was saying, diodes are electronic components used to block the electronic current in a sense, so that it only circulates in the opposite. They are one of the main components of silicon microchips,but today they present a great problem; since, in order to increase the processing capacity of these chips, it will be necessary to significantly reduce the size of the diodes.
What does the DNA diode consist of?
This is where the diode designed by these researchers comes into play. As you know, DNA is a small molecule, but loaded with information; Well, in fact, it contains everything necessary for us to be alive.
This, together with the fact of having a predictable structure and having amply demonstrated that it is easily programmable, makes it the perfect candidate for this Proyect.
However, nothing like this had ever been done before, so the first step was to check; not only if he could conduct the current, but also if he could block it in one direction. To do this, they took a small fragmentof just 11 base pairs, and connected it to a electrical circuit. At first, the desired effect was not achieved, so they decided to intercalate the interior of the DNA helix with a molecule, called coral and then everything changed.
The current did not circulate in a single addressBut I do know that it was made to flow fifteen times more in the negative than in the positive. Therefore, a diode could be considered; since, in fact, none of these devices is capable of locking with a one hundred by one hundred of effectiveness.
Why is this DNA diode so useful?
Although the efficiency is less than that of a traditional diode, this new DNA-based component is so small that it cannot even be seen through a conventional microscope, so that the operating level of the usual diodes can be reached uniting many of them and still the size would continue to be smaller.
In this way, it is possible to significantly increase the microchip processing potential. In addition, they could be manufactured Current transformers Smaller, since they consist of a rectifier bridge made from diodes.
There are still many steps to be taken, but these scientists are optimistic about a future in which these diodes compete with silicon diodes.
Electronic on a molecular scale. The future of science.
