Biochips - Can molecules compute?

In recent years the possibility has been considered to build 'biochip' computers, in which the silicon transistors of present machines would be replaced by large organic molecules or genetically engineered proteins. Two major advantages of such biochips over current devices would be related to vastly increased densities of computing elements, and entirely new styles of data processing, suited to such high-level tasks as pattern recognition and context-dependent analysis. The limitations of the semiconductor chip with respect to the density of elementary units due to size considerations and heat development could be overcome by making use of molecular switches. Attention is given to soliton switching, soliton logic, bulk molecular devices, analog biochips, 'intelligent' switches based on the employment of enzymes, robot vision, questions of biochip fabrication, protein engineering, and a strategy for the development of biochips.