A DNA-of-things storage architecture to create materials with embedded memory

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Materials Science
• Data Storage

Background:

• DNA offers high information density and long-term stability for data storage.
• Existing data storage methods face limitations in density and longevity.
• Need for durable, high-capacity storage solutions for diverse applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel DNA-of-things (DoT) storage architecture.
• To demonstrate the creation of materials with immutable memory using DNA.
• To explore the potential of DoT for data encoding in physical objects.

Main Methods:

• DNA molecules were used to record digital data.
• DNA was encapsulated in silica nanoparticles and fused into materials.
• Objects were 3D printed or cast with embedded DNA blueprints.

Main Results:

• Successfully 3D printed a Stanford Bunny containing a 45 kB DNA blueprint.
• Synthesized five generations of the bunny object, with each generation derived from the previous, demonstrating data integrity.
• Stored and retrieved 1.4 MB of video data from DNA embedded in plexiglass spectacle lenses.

Conclusions:

• The DNA-of-things (DoT) architecture enables the creation of objects with embedded, immutable data.
• DoT technology shows scalability and potential for applications like electronic health records, steganography, and manufacturing.
• This approach could pave the way for self-replicating machines and novel data storage paradigms.