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Conclusion

• Life is always inventing new levels of language. Starting with the cell with molecu­

lar codes, higher levels are cellular and intercellular codes, then neurobiological via

nerve cells, and at the level of individuals, scent signals, behaviour, gestures and

language. In the case of humans, this is followed by the rapidly developing levels of

technical communication – up to and including the Internet. In particular, the Internet

opens up the possibility of making bioinformatics software and biological knowl­

edge (PubMed, open-access publications) accessible worldwide. All computers are

networked in such a way that information via data packets securely reaches the read­

ers at the computer via the Internet protocol. To this end, a Domain Name Server

(DNS) transcribes the Internet Protocol (IP) address into easily readable addresses.

• Synthetic biology profits from this world-wide knowledge and attempts to

describe and understand biological processes so well that they can be used for

technical applications, such as biotechnology (microorganisms produce citric

acid, erythropoietin or insulin). However, numerous circuits and parts from cells

that are interesting in their effects are now also being used (MIT parts list,

BioBricks, iGEM competition). Bioinformatics is crucial to describe and direc­

tionally modify these parts and processes, for example through database tools

(work benches) such as the GoSynthetic database and MIT BioBricks. Synthetic

biology can be quite fruitful this way. In contrast, our knowledge of “artificial

life” is too limited, and if one really wants to produce artificial organisms (e.g.,

modified viruses), it is important here to have sufficient, strong safeguards against

release as well as built-in controls on the organisms (genetic engineering laws

and regulations). The structure of individual proteins is optimised by protein

design. This, too, can now show a number of successes (e.g. removal of a loop

region in the tissue plasminogen activator leads to an extension of the effect).

Drug design using in silico screening and molecular dynamics simulations also

significantly shortens the development of drugs because only the best compounds

then need to be tested experimentally in a time-consuming manner.

• Natural and analog computing uses biological or even physical processes to perform

complex calculations by having many molecules working in parallel. This allows,

for example, the Tokyo subway map to be efficiently reproduced using slime moulds.

Nevertheless, no convincing application of such techniques has yet succeeded in

being superior to a normal computer made of silicon chips. The nanocellulose chip,

on the other hand, is potentially superior to today’s computer chips. It uses DNA to

store information and, via a BLUF or LOV domain, light-­controlled polymerases

and exonucleases to read in and out the stored information. Further modulating pro­

teins and membrane pores are used for electronic signals via the nanocellulose

membrane. This promises higher storage density (exabytes), longer storage (millen­

nia or more) and faster switching (by light, up to petahertz) than conventional silicon

chips. But more generally, the combination of molecular biology, nanotechnology

and modern electronics offers huge future technological potential.

13.8  Using the Language of Life Technically with the Help of Synthetic Biology