Scientists revolutionize DNA data storage with rapid encoding

One gram of DNA can hold hundreds of millions of gigabytes of data. However, the technology needed refinement as encoding information into DNA was a very laborious process, with each DNA molecule having to be synthesized "from scratch" to encode a specific piece of information. The discovery by Chinese scientists may change this situation.

The team, led by Long Qian from Peking University, significantly accelerated the DNA encoding process by mimicking the natural biological process that drives gene expression.

Scientists successfully encoded large amounts of information, including images, at a faster pace than previously possible. The team transformed long strands of DNA into binary code, a sequence of ones and zeros used in computers to store data.

They started with prefabricated DNA templates, which served as a base onto which shorter DNA strands were added. This process resembled threading beads onto a string. Then, using a chemical reaction, researchers added a methyl group (CH3), a molecule composed of carbon and hydrogen, to some of these "beads."

Methylated "beads" become the ones in the binary code, while unmethylated ones serve as zeros. In natural conditions, cells use this methylation process to modify DNA without changing the basic sequence, allowing them to stably store additional layers of regulatory information.

Qian and her team developed a way to perform this process multiple times simultaneously, adding a special "barcode" to each template. This allowed them to store 350 units of information, or bits, on a DNA sample at once—hundreds of times more than the previous standard, which involved storing just one bit at a time.

As test images, the scientists stored an image of a panda and a depiction of a tiger from ancient China and then retrieved them using a DNA sequencer aided by an error correction algorithm. The data retrieval results were received positively: the retrieved images were reproduced with 97% accuracy or greater.

The process was simple enough that 60 student volunteers could practice storing text in DNA samples using do-it-yourself kits. These included basic chemical equipment for methylation reactions and a computer program that translated their words into code. Despite having no prior training in working with DNA, the volunteers achieved good results—the error rates in the encoding process were less than 2%.

According to Qian, this could lead to creating desktop DNA printers or data storage kits for home or small organization use. Experts believe DNA-based technology may be particularly useful for archival storage, especially since DNA reading methods will likely become increasingly refined.