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I just don't think it's accurate to say DNA has instructions in the same way a computer does. It's more like a recipe for a chemical reaction. If we expand the definition of a quine away from being self reproducing code and to self reproducing chemical reaction, it seems like things like crystalization or fire could be considered a quine.

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I actually like that.

But I may have been a bit unclear about my mapping of computer and biology terminology to this question.

I tend to think of a computer programs as being mathematical machines, and proteins as being molecular/chemical machines. Motor proteins "walking" along microtubules is the most vivid example of this.

I'm sort of torn between both worlds here, honestly. I like both perspectives. Viruses especially have a very quinish quality to them in that they're stripped down to just enough stuff to get a host cell to make more viruses.

I like the virus as quine analogy much better than generic DNA as a quine, personally. Seems much more meaningful.

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