in situ Transformation of Information Into DNA Storage With Microfluidic Very Large-Scale Integration Platform.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Data Storage
• Microfluidics

Background:

• DNA data storage provides high density but faces challenges in writing speed and infrastructure requirements.
• Current DNA writing methods are often slow and require specialized equipment, limiting widespread adoption.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce a novel, high-throughput, in situ DNA writing strategy using microfluidic VLSI chips.
• To demonstrate rapid encoding and decoding of binary data into DNA with reduced latency.

Main Methods:

• Developed a microfluidic VLSI chip inspired by DRAM architecture for programmable partitioning.
• Utilized overlap-extension PCR (OE-PCR) for binary data encoding into DNA.
• Employed a microfluidic VLSI qPCR platform for rapid DNA data decoding.

Main Results:

• Successfully encoded 2304 bits of data in 4 hours using a benchtop instrument.
• Achieved high-fidelity encoding with excellent signal-to-noise ratios, confirmed by next-generation sequencing.
• Reduced the overall write-to-read latency to under 8 hours.

Conclusions:

• Programmable microfluidic VLSI platforms offer an efficient, rapid, and portable solution for DNA writing and decoding.
• This technology has the potential for scalable, high-throughput, decentralized DNA data storage and gene synthesis.