Conclusions and Perspectives

Abstract

Unconventional computing aiming at information processing by nonelectronic systems is a research area that is still in its infancy [1]. Despite the many efforts in the last decades, researchers could not demonstrate any practical application in which to compete with electronic systems and even could not formulate the exact goals for the research area. Eventually, consolidated efforts in this multidisciplinary area are difficult because of the large difference between subdirections included in unconventional computing, being represented by a very broad spectrum from quantum computing [2] to DNA computing [3, 4]. The researchers working in the area have different backgrounds originating from computer science, materials science, physics, chemistry, biology, and so on, which make it very difficult to understand each other's goals and formulating joint goals. Eventually, there is even a raging controversy as to whether a joint goal is at all possible, since different subareas of the unconventional computing might lead to absolutely different directions. Some of them may be really pretending to revolutionize computation by generating novel paradigms for information processing and resulting in more efficient hardware operating better than present electronic computers. However, the others might be used in novel areas where electronic computers are not used as yet or their application is not efficient. To some extent, formulation of novel, unusual applications for information processing systems might be easier rather than directly competing with electronic computers trying to improve the technology which is presently well developed. The researchers selecting this path might be able to achieve their goals sooner than others because even systems of moderate complexity with slow information processing could be useful in novel applications even if they are far from able to compete with electronic systems in standard applications where electronic systems are still superior.One of the subareas of the unconventional computing is molecular [5] and biomolecular [6,7] computing. Originally formulated as an alternative to electronic computing [8], chemical computing is still waiting to formulate its goals. Some of the subdirections, such as DNA computing [3, 4], are pretending to compete directly with conventional computing, particularly expecting benefits from massive parallel information processing performed simultaneously by many DNA molecules and being particularly powerful in solving complex combinatorial problems [8,9], while Biomolecular Information Processing: From Logic Systems to Smart Sensors and Actuators, First Edition. Edited by Evgeny Katz.

A Tool, an App and a Field: Fluorescent PET Sensors, Blood Electrolyte Analysis and Molecular Logic as Products of Supramolecular Photoscience from Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka

“…Today's internet depends on the realization of George Boole in post-famine Ireland that information in language can be carried with just 0 and 1. [10] Chemists can analyze chemical reactions or interactions in terms of logic gate arrays (Figure 4), [61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69][70][71][72][73] if 'high' or 'low' signals are assigned, coded as '1' or '0'. The fluorescence intensity output of 1 [18,19] is 'low' when the H + concentration input is 'low', whereas the fluorescence becomes 'high' when the H + input is 'high'.…”