Mathematical modelling of splicing systems

Abstract

Every living organism has DNA that makes the organism unique. Since a DNA strand can be viewed as a string over a four letter alphabet (a, c, g, and t) which is the four deoxyribonucleotides, thus the modelling can be done within the framework of formal language theory. When restriction enzymes and ligase are added to initial strings of DNA molecules, additional strings of molecules can result. Those resulting molecules are adjoined into a language called a splicing language, which can then be analyzed using concepts in formal language theory. This process is modelled as a splicing system. The development of mathematical representation of the generative capacity of a splicing system was initiated by Tom Head in 1987. This research initiates the connection between formal language theory and the study of informational macromolecules.