Synchronous Tile Assembly Model (syncTAM)

The aTAM is meant to be a simplified mathematical model of tile-based self-assembly, and therefore it uses many simplifying assumptions. One of these is that at every time step during the assembly process, a single tile attaches to a growing assembly. This is ...

Model Definition

In the syncTAM, ...

A partial assembly which is error-free.

The binding of a tile via a single glue.

Before the erroneously attached tile can detach, another tile attaches with 2 matching bonds so that all tiles are now connected by two correctly formed bonds

Example facet error in the kTAM

Survey of Results

The ability of the kTAM to accurately model the errors seen in laboratory settings coupled with its clean theoretical definition make it an ideal model in which to study mechanisms of error prevention and correction. Additionally, the algorithmic nature of self-assembly in the kTAM provides the opportunity to effectively apply a variety of algorithms from seemingly unrelated fields such as data transmission to make kTAM systems more robust.