This book investigates the feasibility and implementation of using living biological organisms as functional components within computational logic circuits. Martyn Amos, a researcher in the field of unconventional computation, synthesizes current developments in molecular biology and computer science to propose a framework for biological computing. The text argues that the genome functions as a network of interacting components, providing a foundation for engineering cells to perform specific logical operations for diagnostic and industrial purposes.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text for those entering the intersection of molecular biology and computer science. Readers frequently note the technical density of the prose, which assumes a baseline knowledge of both genetic mechanisms and basic logic gate theory.