Exordium for DNA codes

We describe how deletion-correcting codes may be enhanced to yield codes with double-strand DNA-sequence codewords. This enhancement involves abstractions of the pertinent aspects of DNA; it nevertheless ensures specificity of binding for all pairs of single strands derived from its codewords - the key desideratum of DNA codes - i.e. with binding feasible only between reverse complementary strands. We defer discussing the combinatorial-optimization superincumbencies of code construction. Generalization of deletion similarity to an optimal sequence-alignment score could readily effect advantageous improvements (Kaderali, Master's Thesis, Informatics, U. Koln, 2001) but would render the combinatorics opaque. We mention motivating applications of DNA codes.