Software Engineering for Molecular Programming

Molecular programming combines computer science principles with the information-processing power of DNA and other biomolecules to design self-assembling, programmable systems at the nanoscale. Molecular programming is the programming of matter to do our bidding at molecular scales, and it is programming in the literal sense of computer science. Targeted and customized medical therapeutics, cheap and reliable bio-sensors, molecular robots, smart materials, and bio-compatible computer electronics are applications of molecular programming that are poised to have a major impact on society. Several software development techniques have been extended recently to make planned molecular systems more productive, predictable and safe. Among those shown to be effective for molecular programming are goal-oriented requirements engineering, reaction network models for design, and probabilistic model checking for verification. Challenges that software engineering helps address include handling scalability for very large numbers of devices or services, dealing with uncertain and probabilistic behavior, and predicting the limits of safe operation.