visions of drummers

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/24/science/24cnd-genome.html?ei=5087&em=&en=2da45a7dc351c849&ex=1201323600&pagewanted=print """ The team also added some DNA segments to the genome to serve as "watermarks," allowing scientists to distinguish the synthetic genome from the natural one. That raises new possibilities of using microbes as a method of communication. Dr. Venter said the watermarks contain coded messages. Sleuths will have to determine the amino acid sequence coded for by the watermarks, in order to decipher the message. "It's a fun thing that has a practical application," he said. """ i await the paper, "low latency signalling via coded influenza medium: bandwidth estimates and congestion avoidance"