Biocomputing systems based on carbon materials and DNA

Abstract

Biocomputing is an interdisciplinary field of science at the intersection of biology, informatics, and nanotechnology. Biocomputing nanoplatforms are sensor modules based on biomolecules that can detect and process external stimuli as inputs, generating corresponding outputs. These platforms operate according to specific algorithms, often obeying the laws of Boolean algebra. Such systems are usually based on DNA logic interfaces due to the versatility of this platform in terms of design, synthesis and potential input types. While in most cases DNA logic gates are implemented in homogeneous oligonucleotide solutions, the creation of various heterogeneous systems using organic or inorganic nanosystems can offer a number of advantages in the design and functioning of such logic systems. This review focuses on the application of carbon-based materials, such as graphene, graphene oxide carbon nanotubes and carbon quantum dots, in DNA logic gates. The article for the first time summarizes the entire range of literature on the topic and highlights how the physicochemical properties of carbon-based materials can benefit the design and functionality of DNA logic gates. The review summarizes the main types of logic gates, describes the mechanisms underlying the interaction between DNA and carbon-based material, and presents the logic gated described in the literature in respect to the input signals. It is shown that versatility of such systems makes carbon-coupled DNA logic gates a promising platform for biocomputing, nanotechnology, and bioanalysis.