New DNA storage technology aims to reach 215,000 TB per gram target – stores “epi-bits” of existing DNA using a movable type method

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A modern method of DNA storage has emerged, which aims to revolutionize existing methods of encoding data on DNA strands. A team of researchers from Peking University and three other research institutions recently published their findings on the apply of DNA methylation to selectively mutate “epi-bits” on pre-existing DNA strands. Simply put, it works, it writes faster than other DNA methods, but it doesn’t provide real-world usability yet.

DNA is extremely information dense. GOUT can hold up to 215 petabytes of data per gram relies on our most competent DNA coding processes, but writing and reading data to DNA is both very exorbitant and very sluggish. The most common processes for inserting data into DNA are based on “de novo” synthesis; creating custom DNA sequences from scratch. Instead, the modern epi-bit method saves existing strands, theoretically saving time and money.

The epi-bit method uses a natural process called “DNA methylation”, which mimics the epigenetic evolution that DNA strands undergo throughout life. Scientists created 700 DNA “mobile types” from nucleic acids, emulating DNA printing with movable types. This method can be achieved manually or automatically; researchers managed to print and recall images of a Chinese tiger rubbing itself (16,833 bits) and a panda image (252,504 bits, or 31.5 kilobytes) automatically at a rate of 350 bits per reaction.

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Data is recorded and stored using the DNA barcode system; DNA barcodes mark where pieces of data are stored and can be retrieved with some speed and accuracy. Writing DNA manually is also an uncomplicated process, even for non-experts. 60 volunteers with no biology lab experience used a customized data storage service called iDNAdrive, and all were able to manually encode 5,000 bits of text data.

This method of DNA storage leverages existing advantages of DNA storage, long-term stability and density, and increases programmability and scalability. However, we still have a long way to go before DNA storage becomes useful on a useful scale. It took “about 40 bits per second” to write the tiger rubbing and the panda image onto the DNA. For comparison, an average 1TB tough drive provides a write speed of 160MB/s, which is approximately 30,000,000 times faster than the epi-bit method. But the price of epi-bit coding is theoretically ten times lower than de novo coding, because you only need to buy the proverbial “pen and ink” and not create modern DNA from scratch.

With growing positive adoption in its field, the epi-bit method may emerge as a contender to bring DNA data storage closer to commercial reality. A growing number of DNA storage startups want faster writing tools DNA Data Archives and other captivating products such as Biomemory’s $1,000 for a 1KB DNA memory card.

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