This approach combined with the complexity of biological systems restricts current, one-off efforts to modifying only a small set of genes and constructing simple, isolated genetic circuits and metabolic pathways.

FORBES: DARPA Builds First Bio-Engineering Factory

Dr Stojanovic and his colleague Joanna Macdonald have used this approach to build simple DNA-based circuits capable of playing tic-tac-toe (though they take about half an hour to make each move).

ECONOMIST: DNA computing

One was a kitchen chemistry set for growing crystals and the other a simple electronics kit, based partially around parts of a Snap Circuits set, that has kids building an electromagnet and lighting up an LED.

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