Cryptography and DNA

[Dmitry Goldgaber <dgoldgaber@mail.psychiatry.sunysb.edu>]

"Chaffing and winnowing in molecular biology"
Ronald L. Rivest's method for hiding information by breaking it in to 
packets mixed with other meaningless packets is similar to an approach
which is used in organic systems, at the DNA level.

In our bodies, packets of meaningful information from the DNA used for 
encoding protein sequences, called exons, are mixed with meaningless
stretches of DNA, called introns.  Certain rules exist for putting
protein coding sequences together which are based on information around
the
intron/exon border.

The analogy between cryptographic techniques and biological
processes at the genetic level are striking.  I believe that principles
of protien coding may be useful to the cryptographic community.  In
turn,
the principles and methods used by the cryptographic community may
be useful to those who are analysing DNA sequences which are available
and
are becoming available from the Human Genome Project and other non-human
Genome projects.

Dmitry Goldgaber