Population analysis to increase the robustness of molecular computational identification and its extension into the near-infrared for substantial numbers of small objects

Abstract

A population of polymer beads carrying different molecular computational identification (MCID) logic tags are unambiguously assigned following a statistical evaluation.

Supra-molecular agents running tasks intelligently (SMARTI): recent developments in molecular logic-based computation

“…Such a situation arises during the generation of large numbers of molecular identification tags for small objects within substantial populations. 151 While the fluorescence colour and its emission subject to conditions is a basis for molecular logical ID, 152 realistic numbers of tags are produced by combining tags in parallel. Such double tagging (a version of double-labelling) with binary logic gates can produce multi-valued logic gates such as PASS 1 + YES (Table 2).…”

“…Such double tagging (a version of double-labelling) with binary logic gates can produce multi-valued logic gates such as PASS 1 + YES (Table 2). [151][152][153] Although the most conveniently observed variables, e.g. fluorescence, are the commonest outputs, 30 any phenomenon should be digitizable with the appropriate coding and thresholds.…”

“…50 (ref. 151) is a recent case of a YES logic (Fig. 3) tag on a polymer bead where PET from the amines to the fluorophore keeps fluorescence output switched 'off' until a 'high' H + input is applied when the emission switches 'on'.…”

“…60 Although not of molecular-scale to allow small-space applications which are barred to semiconductor devices (e.g. molecular computational identification), [151][152][153] molecular-based gel blocks which contract or expand in response to various inputs, e.g. pH, temperature, salt, can be combined in various serial and parallel configurations so that they open or close an orifice to switch dye leakage 'on' or 'off'.…”

A Personal Journey across Fluorescent Sensing and Logic Associated with Polymers of Various Kinds

“…Ternary logic types can be included as well [86]. Further amplification of diversity is made by attaching two or more tags to a given particle (Figure 2) [85,87,88]. The fluorescence wavelengths can extend into the near infrared to offer additional bandwidth [88].…”