Published in News

Intel attaches itself to blockchain

by on15 December 2017


Looking at ways to use the energy

Chipzilla is looking at ways to use the energy expended during cryptocurrency mining for the sequencing of genetic data.

In the patent application, first filed June 2016 and released by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Intel's Ned Smith and Rajesh Poornachandran describe a type of computer called a sequence mining platform (SMP) which would identify the order or nucleobases in a deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) or ribonucleic acid (RNA).

For those who have forgotten their sixth form biology, nucleobases are the molecules that make up DNA and RNA and cotain the genetic information. The order of these bases determines what physical traits a person, plant or animal features.

The patent application notes that the SMP would use a nucleobase sequencing unit to actually establish the order of nucleobases which would then be verified by the blockchain before being permanently recorded on it.

According to the Patent: "The present disclosure introduces methods and apparatuses for accomplishing additional useful work in conjunction with blockchain mining. In particular, as described in greater detail below, the present disclosure introduces methods and apparatuses for using data processing power of a data processing system to determine a sequence of nucleobases in a nucleic acid, and for then using the determined sequence of nucleobases as the basis for a [proof-of-work] for a new block for a blockchain."

According to Intel's application, proof-of-work algorithms "make it impractical for an attacker or group of attackers to corrupt or hijack the blockchain".

Unlike POW systems used by the bitcoin and ethereum blockchains,Intel’s proposed design would be multipurpose, and would result in new blocks while simultaneously determining the genetic sequence from the data provided.

The POW algorithm would, therefore, be used to both identify the sequence and subsequently verify it, according to the application, and the sequence recorded on one block would be used as a base for the POW problems in the next block.

 

Last modified on 15 December 2017
Rate this item
(0 votes)

Read more about: