Researchers from NC State and Johns Hopkins have made a groundbreaking discovery in DNA technology that integrates data storage and computation. This DNA-based system promises to revolutionize computing with unmatched data density and long-term storage capabilities.
In an unprecedented advancement, researchers from North Carolina State University and Johns Hopkins University have unveiled a breakthrough technology that uses DNA for comprehensive data storage and computation. This innovation, published in the journal Nature Nanotechnology, could reshape the landscape of computing by providing an extraordinary data density and reliability that far exceeds current electronic systems.
For the first time, scientists have demonstrated a technology that can store, retrieve, compute, erase and rewrite data using DNA.
“In conventional computing technologies, we take for granted that the ways data are stored and the ways data are processed are compatible with each other,” Albert Keung, the project’s leader and co-corresponding author, said in a news release.
Keung, an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State, emphasized the separation of data storage and processing in modern computers.
Previous DNA-based systems fell short in performing all these tasks.
“DNA computing has been grappling with the challenge of how to store, retrieve and compute when the data is being stored in the form of nucleic acids,” added Keung. “But, to date, it’s been thought … difficult or impossible to develop a DNA technology that encompassed the full range of operations found in traditional electronic devices.”
The breakthrough leverages new techniques in soft polymer materials to create structures known as dendricolloids, which provide a high surface area for DNA deposition without sacrificing data density.
“Specifically, we have created polymer structures that … branch off from each other in a hierarchical way to create a network of nanoscale fibers,” Orlin Velev, co-corresponding author and and the S. Frank and Doris Culberson Distinguished Professor of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at NC State, said in the news release.
The dendricolloid material allows researchers to perform a full range of operations akin to those of electronic devices.
“You could put a thousand laptops’ worth of data into DNA-based storage that’s the same size as a pencil eraser,” added Keung, underscoring the potential data density.
The new DNA-based technology has already demonstrated its capabilities by solving complex problems like Sudoku and chess. Moreover, tests suggest it can securely store data for thousands of years without degradation.
“What’s more, the dendricolloidal host material itself is relatively inexpensive and easy to fabricate,” Velev added.
The collaborative effort includes contributions from various experts, including Adriana San Miguel of NC State, who helped integrate the materials into microfluidic channels. Winston Timp’s lab at Johns Hopkins added expertise in nanopore sequencing, enabling direct reading of RNA data. James Tuck’s lab at NC State developed algorithms to convert data into nucleic acid sequences, ensuring computational accuracy.
“There’s a lot of excitement about molecular data storage and computation,” Keung said. “We wanted to develop something that would inspire the field of molecular computing. And we hope what we’ve done here is a step in that direction.”