Cost of Detecting Molecules

A molecular detector is an information channel that makes information at the molecular scale available to the macro scale. Such information can be very valuable, for example as we continue to test for the Covid19 virus to find ways to reopen campuses. I will start with a brief overview of our Tapestry Pooling method which has exploited this analogy to create real-world impact at IIIT Hyderabad campus in terms of keeping the campus safe at an affordable cost.

There is a plethora of technologies available for molecular detection, from optical sensing to CRISPR-based technologies to good old PCR to ever-newer varieties in the news. There will be more in future. In such a scenario, it is important to develop a fundamental understanding of molecular detection. What are the key performance parameters to look at? What are the technology-independent tradeoffs between these parameters imposed by the fundamental laws of nature? What is impossible and what may be possible? I will describe my attempts to tie these questions to the thermodynamic costs required for information-processing.