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Chaotic pools of DNA could be the future of encryption, proving authenticity of artwork or securing passwords against quantum computers.

Engineers have harnessed the chaotic patterns of random DNA sequences to create a unique authentication system for securing artwork and defending passwords from the looming threat of quantum computing.

Conventional encryption techniques use math and algorithms to create what are called one-way functions. As the name implies, an input is presented in the function which leads to a specific output, but due to the nature of the function, the equation is difficult to compute in reverse, creating a secure barrier against unauthorized access.

Researchers are concerned that quantum computing has the power to unravel these complex functions, leaving current encryption vulnerable. Robert Grass, a chemical engineer at ETH Zurich, believes one-way functions based on physical things, like DNA, rather than theoretical mathematics is the solution.

Our system is based on true randomness, said Grass in a press release. The input and output values are physically linked, and its only possible to get from the input value to the output value, not the other way round.

Since its a physical system and not a digital one, it cant be decoded by an algorithm, not even by one that runs on a quantum computer, added Anne Lscher, a doctoral student in Grass group.

Using DNA as a physical one-way function works because of its ability to store vast amounts of information as sequences of base pairs. Unlike binary code, where a position in a sequence can be a one or zero, DNA uses four bases to build sequences, increasing the amount of data DNA can hold.

Accessing the data is possible because each base only binds to one other. Short stretches of DNA, called primers, are used to bind to a complimentary piece of DNA and initiate sequencing of the complimentary strand. However, to use this as an encryption method requires a little chaos.

Synthesizing DNA in a lab is now quite easy, and pools of millions of random DNA sequences can be built for roughly one US dollar. The immense number of combinations possible with four bases creates a molecular chaos whereby no two randomly generated DNA pools can be the same and are impossible to simulate even with the most powerful computers.

Therefore, a given set of primers used to sequence stretches of the pool will reveal a totally unique and unpredictable output. As a one way function, the primers act as the input and the random sequences the output.

Because DNA is so small, these pools can easily be added into paint or sprayed onto a small section of an object. The same primers can then be used to sequence the pool on the object and the master pool, and verify that the same sequence is returned.

While synthesizing the DNA pools is cheap and easy, the current limitation for this physical encryption method is the DNA sequencing, which is costlier and requires specialized labs.

To make it practical we need more consumer-friendly sequencing technologies, said Grass in an interview with Advanced Science News. But thats all things that are being developed for many other applications at the moment, so Im not so afraid of that.

The broader public wont be using DNA passwords anytime soon, but the first applications could be protecting against forgery or securing the trackability of sensitive supply chains, like medicines. According to Grass, embracing the chaos of random DNA sequences is both unusual and exciting.

Chemists hate [disorder], he said. Here, we are really building on that, we are going all in and saying we want as many side products as possible because we are going to work with the randomness it offers.

Reference: Anne M. Luescher, et al. Chemical unclonable functions based on operable random DNA pools, Nature Communications (2024). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47187-7

Feature image: DNA can be used to confirm the authenticity of valuable art prints. Credit: AI-generated image, ETH Zurich

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Quantum-proofing passwords and artwork with DNA encryption - Advanced Science News

The Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE) welcomes the announcement of a new, almost $1 billion quantum computing investment in Queensland, announced today by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Minister for Industry and Science Ed Husic along with Queenslands Premier Steven Miles. The investment is equally co-funded by the Federal and State Governments.

This funding will enable technology start-up company PsiQuantum to establish its Asia-Pacific headquarters in Brisbane and build the worlds first fault tolerant quantum computer, advancing the local quantum industry and creating 400 jobs and supporting PhD positions. Fault tolerance is the next step in the development of useful, practical quantum computers, heralding the arrival of new computing capabilities in Australia in coming years.

As stated in ATSEs submission to the National Quantum Strategy, growing the Australian quantum industry requires supporting four interrelated areas: basic research, infrastructure, talent and business activity.

ATSE CEO Kylie Walker said todays landmark announcement will supercharge these areas and enable Australia to build on its early quantum computing success.

ATSEs response to the National Quantum Strategy called out the then-unmet need for the Australian Government to back the strategy with public funding. Todays investment in PsiQuantum and the research, technology and manufacturing industry that will grow around it will enable the Australian quantum industry to become an international leader.

We applaud the Australian Government and Queensland Government for responding to our calls for large-scale quantum investment through the National Quantum Strategy consultation process, and investing in building technology-forward Australian industry, said Kylie Walker.

Todays announcement follows the Australian Governments announcement of $18.4 million for the University of Sydney to establish Quantum Australia to foster critical collaborations and encourage the creation and growth of quantum startups.

Fellows of the Academy such as Professor Michelle Simmons AO FTSE FAA FRS, Professor Andre Luiten FTSE and Professor Elanor Huntington FTSE are at the forefront of Australias quantum industry.

These initiatives, along with the Global Science and Technology Development Fund Strategic Element grants scheme (GSTDF) which has quantum computing as a key priority area, are placing Australia at the forefront of this emerging technology, and supporting a strong innovation culture to secure Australias economic resilience.

Source:https://www.atse.org.au/

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ATSE Welcomes Large Quantum of Technology Investment for Queensland - AZoQuantum

Imagine the tap of a card that bought you a cup of coffee this morning also let a hacker halfway across the world access your bank account and buy themselves whatever they liked. Now imagine it wasnt a one-off glitch, but it happened all the time: imagine the locks that secure our electronic data suddenly stopped working.

This is not a science fiction scenario. It may well become a reality when sufficiently powerful quantum computers come online. These devices will use the strange properties of the quantum world to untangle secrets that would take ordinary computers more than a lifetime to decipher.

We dont know when this will happen. However, many people and organisations are already concerned about so-called harvest now, decrypt later attacks, in which cybercriminals or other adversaries steal encrypted data now and store it away for the day when they can decrypt it with a quantum computer.

As the advent of quantum computers grows closer, cryptographers are trying to devise new mathematical schemes to secure data against their hypothetical attacks. The mathematics involved is highly complex but the survival of our digital world may depend on it.

The task of cracking much current online security boils down to the mathematical problem of finding two numbers that, when multiplied together, produce a third number. You can think of this third number as a key that unlocks the secret information. As this number gets bigger, the amount of time it takes an ordinary computer to solve the problem becomes longer than our lifetimes.

Future quantum computers, however, should be able to crack these codes much more quickly. So the race is on to find new encryption algorithms that can stand up to a quantum attack.

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology has been calling for proposed quantum-proof encryption algorithms for years, but so far few have withstood scrutiny. (One proposed algorithm, called Supersingular Isogeny Key Encapsulation, was dramatically broken in 2022 with the aid of Australian mathematical software called Magma, developed at the University of Sydney.)

The race has been hotting up this year. In February, Apple updated the security system for the iMessage platform to protect data that may be harvested for a post-quantum future.

Two weeks ago, scientists in China announced they had installed a new encryption shield to protect the Origin Wukong quantum computer from quantum attacks.

Around the same time, cryptographer Yilei Chen announced he had found a way quantum computers could attack an important class of algorithms based on the mathematics of lattices, which were considered some of the hardest to break. Lattice-based methods are part of Apples new iMessage security, as well as two of the three frontrunners for a standard post-quantum encryption algorithm.

A lattice is an arrangement of points in a repeating structure, like the corners of tiles in a bathroom or the atoms in a diamond crystal. The tiles are two dimensional and the atoms in diamond are three dimensional, but mathematically we can make lattices with many more dimensions.

Most lattice-based cryptography is based on a seemingly simple question: if you hide a secret point in such a lattice, how long will it take someone else to find the secret location starting from some other point? This game of hide and seek can underpin many ways to make data more secure.

A variant of the lattice problem called learning with errors is considered to be too hard to break even on a quantum computer. As the size of the lattice grows, the amount of time it takes to solve is believed to increase exponentially, even for a quantum computer.

Read more: Has a mathematician solved the 'invariant subspace problem'? And what does that even mean?

The lattice problem like the problem of finding the factors of a large number on which so much current encryption depends is closely related to a deep open problem in mathematics called the hidden subgroup problem.

Yilei Chens approach suggested quantum computers may be able to solve lattice-based problems more quickly under certain conditions. Experts scrambled to check his results and rapidly found an error. After the error was discovered, Chen published an updated version of his paper describing the flaw.

Despite this discovery, Chens paper has made many cryptographers less confident in the security of lattice-based methods. Some are still assessing whether Chens ideas can be extended to new pathways for attacking these methods.

Chens paper set off a storm in the small community of cryptographers who are equipped to understand it. However, it received almost no attention in the wider world perhaps because so few people understand this kind of work or its implications.

Last year, when the Australian government published a national quantum strategy to make the country a leader of the global quantum industry where quantum technologies are integral to a prosperous, fair and inclusive Australia, there was an important omission: it didnt mention mathematics at all.

Read more: What is quantum advantage? A quantum computing scientist explains an approaching milestone marking the arrival of extremely powerful computers

Australia does have many leading experts in quantum computing and quantum information science. However, making the most of quantum computers and defending against them will require deep mathematical training to produce new knowledge and research.

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Mind-bending maths could stop quantum hackers, but few understand it - The Conversation

BERKELEY, Calif., April 30, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Rigetti Computing, Inc. ("Rigetti" or the "Company") (Nasdaq: RGTI), a pioneer in hybrid quantum-classical computing, announced today that it will release first quarter 2024 results on Thursday, May 9, 2024 after market close. The Company will host a conference call to discuss its financial results and provide an update on its business operations at 5:00 p.m. ET the same day.

Key details regarding the call are as follows:

Call Date: Thursday, May 9, 2024 Call Time: 5:00 p.m. ET / 2:00 p.m. PT Webcast Link: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/e9em4ndr%5D Live Call Participant Link: https://register.vevent.com/register/BIdaa8078c889a462ca4919e4e9290baf6

Webcast Instructions You can listen to a live audio webcast of the conference call by visiting the Webcast Link above or the "Events & Presentations" section of the Company's Investor Relations website at https://investors.rigetti.com/. A replay of the conference call will be available at the same locations following the conclusion of the call for one year.

Live Call Participant Instructions To participate in the live call, you must register using the Live Call Participant Link above. Once registered, you will receive dial-in numbers and a unique PIN number. When you dial in, you will input your PIN and be routed into the call. If you register and forget your PIN, or lose the registration confirmation email, simply re-register to receive a new PIN.

About Rigetti Rigetti is a pioneer in full-stack quantum computing. The Company has operated quantum computers over the cloud since 2017 and serves global enterprise, government, and research clients through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. The Companys proprietary quantum-classical infrastructure provides high performance integration with public and private clouds for practical quantum computing. Rigetti has developed the industrys first multi-chip quantum processor for scalable quantum computing systems. The Company designs and manufactures its chips in-house at Fab-1, the industrys first dedicated and integrated quantum device manufacturing facility. Learn more at http://www.rigetti.com.

Contact Rigetti Computing Media Contact: press@rigetti.com

Rigetti Computing Investor Relations Contact: IR@Rigetti.com

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Rigetti Computing to Report First Quarter 2024 Financial Results and Host Conference Call on May 9, 2024 - GlobeNewswire

When the largest American bank, JPMorgan Chase (NYSE:JPM), starts investing into a new sector, investors should take note. As of January, the bank secured $300 million in the quantum computing startup Quantinuum. The private company, now valued at around $5 billion, is considered one of the top quantum computing stocks.

Relying on superposition and entanglement, quantum computers can solve specific problems faster and more cost-effectively, typically in cybersecurity, cryptography or AI. However, because of limitations, quantum computers will likely work in conjunction with traditional computers.

So, Nvidia (NASDAQ:NVDA) adopted a hybrid approach in building a supercomputer for Japans National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science, the ABCI-Q. International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasted last August that the quantum computing market would grow by 48.1% CAGR by 2027.

For investors, this means getting quantum stock exposure early. Although most startups in this arena are still private, three top quantum computing stocks show the most potential long-term.

Source: Amin Van / Shutterstock.com

Year-to-date (YTD), IonQ (NASDAQ:IONQ) is down 42%, making it a cheap quantum computing stock. At $8.18, the stock is 25% away from its 52-week low point of $5.29 per share.

In this experimental field of quantum computing, the Maryland-based company pioneered the entrapment of ions for its IonQ Aria and commercial IonQ Forte. The latter is expected to be upgraded to IonQ Forte Enterprise by the end of 2024.

Targeted to have 35 qubit count, Forte Enterprise is poised to be a major quantum computing milestone. Although IBMs Condor delivered over 1,000 qubits, Forte Enterprise is going for the lowest error level possible, while also able to scale for data center operations.

In 2025, IonQs roadmap fits IonQ Tempo as the key quantum solution that has the potential to capture the bulk of the quantum marketplace. Ahead of these milestones, the average IONQ price target is $16.63 vs current $7.09, per aggregated Nasdaq data.

Source: Boykov / Shutterstock.com

One of the cheapest computing stocks, Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI) made significant advancements in the arena. The stock is up 10% YTD at present $1.17, which is up 67% from its 52-week low of $0.36 per share.

Given its penny stock quality, RGTI attracts much speculation, similar to memecoins in the crypto space. But California-based Rigetti Computing has a more grounded footing with the released 32-qubit Aspen series and the 84-qubit Ankaa-2.

The latter more than doubled error performance compared to RGTIs previous quantum processor units (QPUs). In addition to these high-grade rollouts, Rigetti Computing launched Novera as a 9-qubit complementary system for customers, priced at $900,000.

Also, the company helped Oxford Instruments build a usable 32-qubit QPU via its subsidiary, Rigetti UK Limited. The fact that the UKs top universities and firms picked Rigetti Computing, placing it among the top quantum computing stocks, speaks volumes on the companys future prospects.

From the present price level of $1.17, the average RGTI price target twelve months ahead is $3.17 per Nasdaqs data.

Source: T. Schneider / Shutterstock

The Canadian D-Wave Quantum (NYSE:QBTS) is up 80% YTD, so investors should take a pause before jumping in. From its 52-week low point of $0.40 versus its present $1.48, QBTS shares are priced 75% higher.

The reason for the ongoing hype, in addition to being a penny stock, is the release of 1,200+ Qubit Advantage2 prototype in February. As the most performant QPU, it has been available through the companys Leap Quantum Cloud Service.

The QPU not only boasts raw performance but also doubles the coherence time, as the qubits lifespan to manipulate information. At the end of March, D-Wave delivered its full-year 2023 earnings, showing 21% year-over-year (YOY) revenue growth, reaching $2.9 million.

More importantly, D-Wave lowered its losses (expected with startups), from $18.2 million net loss in 2022 to $16 million in 2023. D-Waves revenue from commercial customers increased by 41%.

Given this combo of QPU performance and financials, Nasdaqs average price target for QBTS is $3 versus the current $1.48 per share.

On Penny Stocks and Low-Volume Stocks:With only the rarest exceptions, InvestorPlace does not publish commentary about companies that have a market cap of less than $100 million or trade less than 100,000 shares each day. Thats because these penny stocks are frequently the playground for scam artists and market manipulators. If we ever do publish commentary on a low-volume stock that may be affected by our commentary, we demand thatInvestorPlace.coms writers disclose this fact and warn readers of the risks.

Read More:Penny Stocks How to Profit Without Getting Scammed

On the date of publication, Shane Neagle did not hold (either directly or indirectly) any positions in the securities mentioned in this article. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer, subject to the InvestorPlace.comPublishing Guidelines.

Shane Neagle is fascinated by the ways in which technology is poised to disrupt investing. He specializes in fundamental analysis and growth investing.

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The Top 3 Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in April 2024 - InvestorPlace