Combinational logic design in Synthetic Biology

Combinational logic circuits are a fundamental building block in today's digital electronics. Combinational logic representations are highly amenable to various levels of abstraction, and manipulation is naturally performed via Boolean algebraic expressions. These properties have allowed automatic VLSI synthesis and analysis capabilities to reach a high level of maturity. In the growing field of Synthetic Biology, devices are emerging which are being classified as ldquocombinational logicrdquo. These devices can be constructed using standardized design practices which pave the way to more advanced analysis and construction techniques. However there exist a number of barriers to the application of VLSI design techniques to biological systems. We describe two key barriers and begin the process of examining how difficult they will be to overcome.