[GLLUG] June discussion group meeting

[Stanley Mortel]

On 05/27/2012 04:02 PM, Charles Tower wrote:
> I downloaded the article and read the summary, Stan.  It looks
> extremely technical, and it appears they aren't trying to create a
> data store for computers, but to store some information about the
> cells themselves and their ancestry.  (Why?)  Maybe it would be a good
> idea to invite someone from MSU that deals in this or a related field
> to make sure someone knows what we're talking about.    :)
>
> I don't mean to imply that none of us are smart enough to figure this
> out, given enough time, but has anyone been following this type of
> research in the way Frank has followed nanotechnology?  If not, we
> might be like the blind men trying to describe an elephant.
Charles,

Yep, it looks pretty technical, but that's OK.  I don't intend to ever 
actually do anything like this.  It should be interesting to take a look 
at what seems to be a very early indication of what might be possible 
using DNA molecular media for data storage.  I suspect that is the sort 
of thing Frank had in mind when he suggested this this article for the 
June meeting.  You have to admit, the idea of encoding "data" in the 
genetic code of an organism that will reliably self-replicate and have 
no observable gene expression, is very intriguing.  If I wrote sci-fi, 
I'd might even be giddy.

Stan