SFReader Forums

SFReader.com : Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Book Reviews & more

SFWatcher.com : Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror Movie Review

Project Wonderful - Your ad here, right now, for as low as $0.00

SFReader Forums > SFReader > Ask The Expert > DNA Processing Speed

Forum Quick Jump

[ << Previous Thread | Next Thread >> | Show Oldest Post First ]

Sister Coyote
Stablehand

Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 27

Posted 6/5/2007 1:12 PM (GMT -5)

Awesome, thanks so much!

crystalwizard
Forum Moderator

Date Joined Nov 2006
Total Posts : 5194

Posted 6/5/2007 12:05 PM (GMT -5)

Sister Coyote said...
A friend had an idea for an upcoming anthology that requires the ability for a single corporation to be able to sequence a genome in a short amount of time as a way of "smuggling" information. We're trying to figure out if that's in any way feasible extrapolating from today's technology rather than assuming dramatically new tech.

Thanks for the information, that's helpful!

sequencing a genome...are they also going to be custom making the genomes? To make that work, you'll have to have the ability to create modify a genome and encode the information on it. I'm not sure how quick that process can be.

I assume they would be modifying a virus? I wonder what would happen if their data transport got loose and infected people...

Here's the URL for the Human Genome Project if you want to do more research

http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/home.shtml

Here's information on distributed computing:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Distributed_computing

maybe the company has a medical program, like the search for a cure for some disease, and they've gotten a lot of people to run that...but at the same time, unknown to those people, the company is also using them for other, more clandestine, computing?

Here is a list of current distributed computing projects currently on going:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_distributed_computing_projects

Never meddle in the affairs of a wizard unless you are soggy and hard to light!

Visit my art gallery on art wanted at
http://artwanted.com/crystalwizard

All my books in print:
http://sojourn.omnitech.net

Sister Coyote
Stablehand

Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 27

Posted 6/5/2007 11:57 AM (GMT -5)

A friend had an idea for an upcoming anthology that requires the ability for a single corporation to be able to sequence a genome in a short amount of time as a way of "smuggling" information. We're trying to figure out if that's in any way feasible extrapolating from today's technology rather than assuming dramatically new tech.

Thanks for the information, that's helpful!

crystalwizard
Forum Moderator

Date Joined Nov 2006
Total Posts : 5194

Posted 6/4/2007 10:11 PM (GMT -5)

The human genome project used a massive computer complex, with multiple computers all processing a tiny bit of information, and a master application putting it all together.

The processing speed is critical. More so than the amount of memory or anything else. But the need for a single chip that can supply that much power is dealt with by networking a large number of computers with lower powered CPUs and having them all do a small amount of work.

What are you trying to accomplish?

Sister Coyote
Stablehand

Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 27

Posted 6/4/2007 6:09 PM (GMT -5)

I'm familiar with SETI, but hadn't explored it thoroughly. It's a good thought, but I'm not /quite/ sure it will work for what I have in mind.

Thanks!

Firlefanz
Sage

Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 1246

Posted 6/4/2007 2:33 PM (GMT -5)

I'm not sure whether it's the processing speed, but are you familiar with Seti@Home? That's a little program running on a PC's idle time, which people can get through the internet. It processes snippets of the results SETI gets from listening to outer space.

That's a way of increasing computer power by a lot (I hesitate to say magnitudes, but that's what it probably is), simply by using that computer time which goes idle on most personal computers at home. I believe it's been copied for protein anlysis, as well.

- Call me Firle.

Hannah Steenbock

Mystical Adventures
Beyond Horizons

Sister Coyote
Stablehand

Date Joined Mar 2007
Total Posts : 27

Posted 6/4/2007 1:41 PM (GMT -5)

This is one of those incredibly random questions that come up when we're writing, but...

Is it computer processing speed that limits the amount of time it takes to sequence an entire DNA genome (I think that's the right term) or are there other complicating factors?

If it is computer processing speed, does anyone know a good place for me to do research on ways the computer developers are hoping to increase processing speed? I seem to recall that heat is one of the major factors impacting our current system development.

Thanks!

Forum Information

Currently it is Thursday, January 08, 2009 6:16 PM (GMT -5)
There are a total of 85,851 posts in 7,124 threads.
In the last 3 days there were 18 new threads and 76 reply posts. View Active Threads