Writing Requirements for Molecular Programs

Molecular programming uses the computational power of DNA and other biomolecules to create useful nanoscale systems. Molecular program applications being developed include medical sensors that can be absorbed by the body after use, drug capsules that open only when they find diseased cells, and programmable nanoscale robots. This tutorial introduces the model-based language commonly used to write the requirements for molecular programs. This high-level modeling language is mathematically simple, very general, and well documented. Importantly, specifications written in it can be automatically compiled into implementable, detailed design descriptions. Participants will leave knowing how to write the requirements for some small molecular system components, where to go to learn more, and what are some open problems for writing the requirements of large molecular programs.