Could inter-individual communication be based on DNA transfer?

There is this idea that we find in a few books, mainly The Swarm by Frank Schätzing and in the Ender Saga by Orson Scott Card, that some species could communicate via DNA exchange.

Technically, yes DNA is information and with the rise of computers, we're all well aware that binary is enough to encode most information (DNA is quaternary). Also, it is known that some organisms (mainly viruses (yes I know viruses aren't technically organisms)) are able to inject genomic material into a host.

So there you are. It seems technically plausible.

• But how realistic is it?
• How fast would it be? Faster than social communication? Faster than hormonal diffusion? Faster than neuronal propagation?
• What would be the advantages and disadvantages of such organisms? What would be the particular traits implied by using such way of communication? (I'm thinking: do they have to live in water? do they have to be single-cell? ...)

posted about 10 years ago

Sheraff‭

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