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Area of Science:

  • Synthetic Biology
  • Bioinformatics
  • Genomics

Background:

  • Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a fundamental biological information storage medium with potential for high-density digital data storage.
  • Current DNA data storage methods primarily rely on in vitro synthesis, lacking direct in vivo cellular encoding capabilities.
  • Encoding digital data into living cell chromosomes in a single step remains a significant challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To introduce a novel electrogenetic framework for direct digital data storage within living cells.
  • To enable a single-step encoding of digital information into cellular genetic material.
  • To explore the potential for information exchange between digital (silicon-based) and biological (carbon-based) systems.

Main Methods:

  • Development of an engineered redox-responsive CRISPR adaptation system.
  • Encoding binary data in 3-bit units into bacterial cell CRISPR arrays via electrical stimulation.
  • Demonstration of multiplex data encoding into barcoded cell populations.

Main Results:

  • Successful direct storage of digital data into bacterial chromosomes using an electrogenetic approach.
  • Achieved a data storage capacity of up to 72 bits within barcoded cell populations.
  • Demonstrated stability of stored information over multiple cell generations in natural environments.

Conclusions:

  • Established a direct digital-to-biological data storage framework.
  • Advanced the capability for seamless information transfer between digital and biological entities.
  • This method offers a promising avenue for high-density, inheritable data storage in living cells.