10:00–11:00 am
Please join us:
Jackson O’Brien’s PhD Thesis Defense
Thursday August 26, 2021 at 10:00 am CDT
Via Zoom
PATTERN RECOGNITION THROUGH MOLECULAR COMPUTATION
Understanding the computational capacity of molecular systems is important both for
basic insights into information processing in biological systems and the design of synthetic
nano/micro-scale technologies. Here, we design systems that, instead of mimicking conven-
tional engineered computational systems, exploit intrinsic physical dynamics to carry out
pattern recognition autonomously. Using chemical reaction networks and self-assembly of
many heterogeneous species, we demonstrate pattern recognition capabilities on pulsatile
temporal inputs and high-dimensional concentration patterns. Throughout, we emphasize
the ways in which our physical mechanisms are naturally suited to the particular computa-
tional challenges. This work not only provides molecular computational solutions for concrete
problems, but also helps broaden the paradigm about how, when, and where computation
can occur in molecular systems.
Committee Members:
Arvind Murugan (chair)
Aaron Dinner
Michael Rust
William Irvine
Jackson will be joining Lincoln Park Capital as a biotechnology analyst in September.