Erik Winfree, Professor of Computer Science, Computation and Neural Systems, and Bioengineering, and colleagues have designed DNA molecules that can carry out reprogrammable computations, for the first time creating so-called algorithmic self-assembly in which the same "hardware" can be configured to run different "software." Although DNA computers have the potential to perform more complex computations than the ones featured in the Nature paper, Professor Winfree cautions that one should not expect them to start replacing the standard silicon microchip computers. That is not the point of this research. "These are rudimentary computations, but they have the power to teach us more about how simple molecular processes like self-assembly can encode information and carry out algorithms. Biology is proof that chemistry is inherently information-based and can store information that can direct algorithmic behavior at the molecular level," he says. [Caltech story]
Calendar
- January 20, 2021 9:00 AM Control Meets Learning Seminar Speaker: Florian Dörfler Online Event
- January 20, 2021 12:00 PM CMX Lunch Seminar Speaker: William Shadwick Online Event
- January 21, 2021 11:00 AM Mechanical and Civil Engineering Seminar Speaker: Laura De Lorenzis Online Event
- January 25, 2021 4:00 PM H.B. Keller Colloquium Speaker: Lexing Ying Online Event
- January 27, 2021 12:00 PM CMX Lunch Seminar Speaker: David Ginsbourger Online Event
- More Events »
Past Events

TechFest
A day-long event focused on providing startups and companies with a chance for meaningful interactions with undergraduate and graduate students, providing students with an opportunity to find out more about the breadth of applications for computing and mathematical sciences across industries.

Carver Mead New Adventures Fund
The afternoon featured technical talks from Carver Mead New Adventures Fund recipients, alumni, and Carver Mead himself! Since 2014, this Fund has championed exceptional projects in their earliest stage of development – too early to attract industry or government support. This characteristic embodies Carver’s approaches and practices, with a continued goal to expand Carver’s daring approach to research and innovation throughout the Caltech campus. We highlighted some of the adventurous research that has been explored by grants made possible by this initiative with you.

IST Meeting of the Minds
A day-long research conference featuring talks, laboratory open houses, and poster presentations by distinguished faculty, graduate students, undergraduates, and researchers from JPL showcasing the latest and most exciting work that is underway in CMS.

Alumni College: Caltech Computes
A day-long event that will explore the ways in which computational thinking is disrupting science and engineering, and creating entirely new disciplines with "CS+X".

Ten Years of DNA Origami
A symposium to honor Paul Rothemund’s contribution to the field.

Hacktech
Caltech's premier interdisciplinary hackathon.

One Entangled Evening
A night of science and entertainment celebrating Feynman’s quantum legacy.

CDS 20th Anniversary
Control and Dynamical Systems celebrates its 20th anniversary.

SoCalNEGT
Southern California Symposium on Network Economics and Game Theory.

CS 25th Anniversary
Computer Science celebrated 25 years of innovative, ground-breaking research.