Summer Computer Science Institute - Molecular Programming

Algorithms are ubiquitous in nature and are even present in biological and chemical processes. For example, cells receive molecular signals, execute procedures, and send signals of their own, and chemical reactions compute functions by transforming reactants into products according to molecular rules. In this course, we will investigate common mathematical models of chemistry, biology, and nanoscale self-assembly. We will use each model as a literal programming language to compute various molecular algorithms. We will also see that these models are equivalent in power to modern programming languages such as Java. Special emphasis will be given to the abstract tile self-assembly model (aTAM). Using the aTAM, we will write programs that self-assemble various shapes and patterns and simulate their behavior. No background in computer science, biology, or chemistry is required.