World-first unpowered DNA computer sets speed record

Computing is a power-hungry resource in today’s world. By 2050, as much as 20% of the electricity consumed by the US commercial sector will be used to crunch numbers. Data centers alone will double their electricity demand within the next few years, making the need for more efficient systems a high priority.

Our own bodies seem like a strange place to look for a solution, but nature has had billions of years to find ways to do a lot with very little. Which is why researchers from Maynooth University in Ireland have turned to the very chemistry of life to develop a novel kind of computer that runs without a constant supply of electricity.

“Silicon-based computers use so much energy – 23% of Ireland’s electricity goes into computing and data storage,” says computer scientist and senior author Damien Woods. “We’ve been blinkered by only seeing one type of computer, but...

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