Computer scientists are joining forces with molecular biologists and chemists to explore the potential for computation using information-carrying biological polymers such as nucleic acids (DNA and RNA). DNA computing is a subset of molecular computing. The key feature of DNA for computing is its information content. The self-assembly properties of DNA suggest an indirect application to computing. The concept of self-assembly, which biological systems have evolved to form such structures as viruses, flagella, and microtubules (which serve as structural and motile components of cells), can lead the way to using DNA as the basis of nanorobotics.