Researchers create DNA computer that performs 100-bit calculations without electricity — molecular system uses self-assembling strands to perform computing
A team of researchers at Maynooth University, Ireland, has created a first-of-its-kind" DNA molecular computer that uses DNA strands to perform complex mathematical operations without electricity. Detailed in the journal Nature on September 16, the system - called a Scaffolded DNA Computer (SDC) - is one of the most complex and fastest molecular computers, and points to new possibilities for long-term data storage, energy-efficient computation and, in time, molecular systems that could operate inside cells for applications such as disease detection," according to the researchers. The system successfully executed 10 different molecular programs, including complex 100-bit calculations.
The researchers designed the computer via a technique known as DNA origami. Using specialized software, they mapped out a long primary DNA strand and hundreds of shorter, custom-synthesized staple" strands. They then added the physical DNA strands to a test tube containing a drop of water and salt. When they heated and then cooled the mixture, the strands self-assembled into a highly organized, microscopic computing grid, with the long strand acting as a structural scaffold.
Traditional silicon computers use transistors to switch electrical voltages between 1 and 0. On the other hand, the molecular computer uses the binding and unbinding of genetic base pairs (A, T, C, and G) to process information. The researchers write the program into the DNA sequences themselves before putting them into the test tube and applying heat. The thermal energy kick-starts chemical reactions, causing the DNA strands to rearrange. As the molecules naturally shift toward their most stable structural state, they mathematically solve the programmed algorithm, with the final structure representing the mathematical answer.
The researchers ran 10 different molecular programs to test the system. The DNA computer successfully performed addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division. It successfully processed 100-bit calculations, proving it could handle complex data reliably without errors. Because the system is constrained by the laws of physics, it removes the need for error-correction software. More importantly, the computing requires zero electricity as the computer runs on chemical reactions. This could have huge potential for the future of computing, particularly in the researchers' home country, Ireland, where data centers consumed 23% of the country's electricity in 2025