A compact cassette tape for DNA-based data storage.

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Data Storage
• Molecular Engineering

Background:

• The exponential growth of global data necessitates novel storage solutions beyond traditional methods.
• DNA offers exceptional data density and longevity, making it a promising candidate for future storage technologies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an integrated, compact device for efficient large-scale data storage and retrieval using DNA.
• To demonstrate automated data management and long-term data preservation within a DNA-based system.

Main Methods:

• Incorporation of a DNA cassette tape with 5.5 × 10^5 addressable data partitions and deposit-many-recover-many (DMRM) features.
• Development of a compact DNA cassette tape drive enabling automated closed-loop operations.
• Verification of functionality through random data deposition, recovery, and restoration via next-generation sequencing and decoding.

Main Results:

• The DNA cassette tape demonstrated a high addressing rate (up to 1570 partitions/sec) and loading capacity (28.6 mg/km).
• Automated closed-loop operations including data deposition, recovery, and re-deposition were successfully completed within 50 minutes.
• Complete image restoration was achieved through next-generation sequencing and decoding, confirming data integrity.

Conclusions:

• The developed DNA cassette tape drive offers a viable strategy for fast, compact, and large-scale DNA-based cold or warm data storage.
• This technology provides a pathway for achieving hundreds of years of data preservation.
• The system demonstrates a fully automated solution for managing and accessing large datasets stored in DNA.