The lives of cells, recorded

A paradigm for biology is emerging in which cells can be genetically programmed to write their histories into their own genomes. These records can subsequently be read, and the cellular histories reconstructed, which for each cell could include a record of its lineage relationships, extrinsic influences, internal states and physical locations, over time. DNA recording has the potential to transform the way that we study developmental and disease processes. Recent advances in genome engineering are driving the development of systems for DNA recording, and meanwhile single-cell and spatial omics technologies increasingly enable the recovery of the recorded information. Combined with advances in computational and phylogenetic inference algorithms, the DNA recording paradigm is beginning to bear fruit. In this Perspective, we explore the rationale and technical basis of DNA recording, what aspects of cellular biology might be recorded and how, and the types of discovery that we anticipate this paradigm will enable.