biocomputer

noun

bio·​com·​put·​er ¦bī-(ˌ)o-kəm-¦pyü-tər 

plural biocomputers

: a computer that uses components of biological origin (such as molecules of DNA) instead of electrical components

The device is rudimentary—it can only perform basic high-school-level math problems. But this tiny "biocomputer" no bigger than a dime is powered by DNA, not silicon, and it represents one of the first significant steps toward a holy grail of science.

—Alex Salkever, Christian Science Monitor, 13 Jan. 2000

Word History

First Known Use

1952, in the meaning defined above

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