Example: The stickers approach
Generate long memory strands of DNA
- Attach shorter strands (stickers) to unique sites on long strand
- An attached sticker represents a “1”
- The absence of a sticker represents a “0”
3 basic operations
- Merge: Combine 2 tubes
- Extract: Separate DNA sequences depending on the presence or absence of a sticker at a particular location
- Append: Anneals a specific sticker to all strands in a tube
Enzymes join sticky ends of DNA such as
- (5’) …TTAGGGTTAGGGTTAGGG
- (3’) …AATCCCAATCCC