The Genetic Computer

The Genetic Computer is a very simple esolang which splits a string of DNA bases into codons, which it uses as both the tape and the program. Each step, it reads the cell it is currently in, performs an action based on the value of that cell, and then moves by one cell in whichever direction the head is currently moving. To initialise, the compiler will check that the input is a valid tape (i.e. only contains the letters ACTG), splits it into a list of codons, finds the first occurence of the start codon in that list, positions the head there, and begins moving to the right. If it encounters a codon which is currently not assigned to a function, it will just skip that codon and keep moving.

Python Interpreter: https://github.com/theonetruenerd/the_genetic_computer/tree/master

Codons

Caption text

Function	Codon	Function	Codon	Function	Codon	Function	Codon
Start Reading	AAA	Combine Next And Stored Codons	TAA	Print Tape	CAA	Output Tape To File	GAA
Move Left	AAT	Currently Undefined	TAT	Swap Stored And Tape	CAT	Save Memory As Tape	GAT
Move Right	AAC	Move Equal To Last Stored Codon	TAC	Loop Start	CAC	Compare Codon Value	GAC
Stay In Place	AAG	Load Tape	TAG	Loop End	CAG	Remove Last Stored Codon	GAG
Store Next Codon	ATA	Clear Memory	TTA	Reverse Codon	CTA	Begin Equation	GTA
Complement Next Codon	ATT	Do Nothing	TTC	Print Memory	CTT	End Equation	GTT
Overwrite Next Codon	ATC	Stop Reading	TTT	Print Memory As ASCII	CTC	Save Tape To Memory	GTC
Print Stored Codon As ASCII	ATG	Generate Random Codon	TTG	Tape Meiosis	CTG	Jump To End	GTG
Double Tape Speed	ACA	Move To Stored Codon	TCA	Reverse Order Of Memory	CCA	Bitwise NOT	GCA
Halve Tape Speed	ACT	Store User Ascii Input	TCT	Read File Into Tape	CCT	Bitwise AND	GCT
Insert Codon	ACC	Store User Codon Input	TCC	Print Stored Codon	CCC	Currently Undefined	GCC
Delete Next Codon	ACG	Return	TCG	Jump To Beginning	CCG	If	GCG
Shuffle Bases Of Next Codon	AGA	Append Stored Codon	TGA	Print Next Codon	CGA	Bitwise OR	GGA
Change Read Direction To Right	AGT	Shuffle Tape	TGT	Read ASCII File Into Tape	CGT	Bitwise XOR	GGT
Change Read Direction To Left	AGC	Start New Tape	TGC	Output Tape To ASCII File	CGC	Append Stored Codon To Top Of Tape Stack	GGC
Toggle Read Direction	AGG	Read From Adjacent Tape	TGG	Print Next Codon As ASCII	CGG	Return To Start Of Tape	GGG

Codons as Ascii

def codon_to_ascii(codon):
    base_to_index = {'A': 0, 'C': 1, 'T': 2, 'G': 3}
    index = base_to_index[codon[0]] * 16 + base_to_index[codon[1]] * 4 + base_to_index[codon[2]]
    index += 32
    return chr(index)

Ascii Character	Codon	Ascii Character	Codon	Ascii Character	Codon	Ascii Character	Codon
space	AAA	0	CAA	@	TAA	P	GAA
!	AAC	1	CAC	A	TAC	Q	GAC
"	AAT	2	CAT	B	TAT	R	GAT
#	AAG	3	CAG	C	TAG	S	GAG
$	ACA	4	CCA	D	TCA	T	GCA
%	ACC	5	CCC	E	TCC	U	GCC
&	ACT	6	CCT	F	TCT	V	GCT
'	ACG	7	CCG	G	TCG	W	GCG
(	ATA	8	CTA	H	TTA	X	GTA
)	ATC	9	CTC	I	TTC	Y	GTC
*	ATT	:	CTT	J	TTT	Z	GTT
+	ATG	;	CTG	K	TTG	[	GTG
,	AGA	<	CGA	L	TGA	\	GGA
-	AGC	=	CGC	M	TGC	]	GGC
.	AGT	>	CGT	N	TGT	^	GGT
/	AGG	?	CGG	O	TGG	_	GGG

Example Code

Hello, World:

AAAATATTAATATCCATATGAATATGAATATGGATAAGAATAAAAATAGCGATATGGATAGATATATGAATATCACTCTTATTTT

Truth Machine:

AAATCTTCACAATTTCACATGAAT

Cat Program:

AAATCTCTCTTATTT