Method and apparatus for a pipelined dna memory hierarchy

Abstract

one embodiment of a memory stores information, including address bits, on DNA strands and provides access using a pipeline of tubes, where each tube selectively transfers half of the strands to the next tube based on probing of associated address bits. Transfers are controlled by logic relating to the state of the tubes: The pipeline may be initialized to start at a high-order target address, providing random access without enzymes, synthesizing probe molecules or PCR at access time. Thereafter, a processing unit gets fast access to sequentially addressed strands each cycle, for applications like executing machine language instructions or reading blocks of data from a file. Another embodiment with a compare unit allows low-order random access. Provided that addresses are encoded using single-stranded regions of DNA where probe molecules may hybridize, other information may use any DNA encoding. Electronic/electrochemical (electrowetting, nanopore, etc.) embodiments as well as biochemical embodiments are possible.