The lives of cells, recorded

Area of Science:

• Synthetic Biology
• Genomics
• Cell Biology

Background:

• Emerging biological paradigm: genetically programming cells to record histories in their genomes.
• Potential to record lineage, environmental influences, internal states, and spatial location over time.
• Advances in genome engineering and omics technologies are enabling DNA recording and information retrieval.

Purpose of the Study:

• Explore the rationale and technical basis of DNA recording in cells.
• Identify cellular biology aspects recordable via DNA.
• Anticipate discoveries enabled by this new paradigm.

Main Methods:

• Genome engineering for DNA data storage.
• Single-cell and spatial omics for data retrieval.
• Computational and phylogenetic inference algorithms for history reconstruction.

Main Results:

• DNA recording systems are under development, driven by synthetic biology advances.
• Technologies for reading genomic records are maturing.
• Integration of these technologies enables cellular history reconstruction.

Conclusions:

• DNA recording offers a transformative approach to studying cellular processes.
• Potential applications in developmental biology and disease research.
• This paradigm promises new avenues for biological discovery.