The ciliate cryptosystem
by
Marion Scheepers
Boise State University

Using cryptography and cryptographic protocols to accomplish formation security objectives is not an exclusively human enterprise. A group of ancient single cell organisms have been doing this for more than a billion years. We explain in broad outline the distinguishing properties of these organisms, and how they use cryptographic protocols and a permutation cipher to maintain the integrity of their genomes. Next we point out aspects of this molecular system which makes it a very attractive candidate as a general purpose molecular computer.

Date received: December 14, 2009