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Harnessing DNA for data storage
As the digital world expands, scientists are exploring DNA’s remarkable capacity to store data, converting this ancient molecule into a next-gen information archive.
DNA can store up to a billion times more information in the same volume compared with traditional silicon-based storage, and encoded sequences can last for centuries under the right conditions.
Researchers from ASU and international collaborators have unveiled a method that significantly increases DNA storage capacity and efficiency using “epi-bits,” which function like movable type in a printing press and can be arranged on a universal DNA template. The research was published in the journal Nature
The new approach sidesteps the lengthy and expensive process of synthesizing new DNA, making it a quicker, more cost-effective solution. With DNA’s durability and compact nature, this method has the potential to store vast amounts of data in a minuscule space for long durations.
Instead of building DNA from scratch, the team uses existing strands, modifying them with a process inspired by nature’s own method of regulating gene activity: epigenetic modification.
Epigenetics is a natural process where chemical groups are added or removed from DNA to regulate gene expression, thereby determining whether a gene is turned on or off. This regulation affects protein production, which drives essential cellular functions. The researchers adapted this natural mechanism, using it to encode digital information instead of biological instructions.
By adding or removing chemical markers known as methyl groups on specific DNA bases, the researchers create epi-bits — tiny molecular data points that function like binary switches.
The epi-bit technology could offer a more sustainable and resourceefficient option compared with traditional electronic storage. As global data demands continue to surge, researchers believe that DNA’s compactness and durability could help mitigate the growing environmental impact of large-scale data storage.
It's encouraging to see that epigenetic principles from biochemistry textbooks and taught in my classroom can be applied seamlessly to DNA data storage applications to solve some of the unmet challenges in this field.
— Hao Yan , director, Biodesign Center for Molecular Design and Biomimetics
