The next generation of data storage may not sit inside a computer at all – it could exist inside DNA molecules.
As the world generates more digital information than ever before, scientists are racing to develop storage systems that are denser, longer-lasting, and far more secure.
A team at Arizona State University (ASU) has demonstrated how engineered DNA can handle both storage and encryption, potentially outperforming conventional silicon-based technologies.
DNA challenges silicon storage
Modern computers rely on silicon to store and protect information. Silicon works fast, but storage systems need large buildings, constant power, and cooling. Long-term preservation also remains difficult.
DNA offers a striking contrast. A tiny amount of DNA can hold enormous volumes of data and remain stable for thousands or even millions of years.
“For decades, information technology has relied almost entirely on silicon,” said Hao Yan, a Regents Professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at ASU.
“What we’re showing here is that biological molecules, specifically DNA, can be engineered to store and protect information in fundamentally new ways.”
“By treating DNA as an information platform rather than just a genetic material, we can begin to rethink how data is stored, read and secured at the nanoscale.”
Encoding data with DNA
Instead of using DNA like a long string of genetic letters, scientists use DNA like building blocks.
DNA strands are folded into tiny shapes, almost like paper origami. Each shape stands for a piece of information, similar to how letters form words.
Information does not come from reading the genetic code. Information comes from the shape itself. Different shapes mean different messages, just like different symbols on a keyboard.
As those tiny DNA shapes move through very small sensors, each shape creates a unique electrical signal. Computer programs trained with machine learning recognize those signals and match them to the correct shape.
Once the shape is identified, the stored message becomes readable again. Since no genetic reading is needed, the process runs faster and costs much less than traditional DNA sequencing.
DNA-based encryption systems
A second study expands storage into encryption. Researchers design complex DNA origami patterns where information hides inside nanoscale arrangements. Reading those patterns requires special imaging tools and decoding rules.
High-speed DNA-PAINT super resolution imaging allows visualization of individual DNA docking points with nanometer precision.
Machine learning software then groups signal clusters and reconstructs encrypted messages. Without correct decoding rules, patterns appear meaningless.
Routing, sliding, and interlacing of DNA strands create an enormous number of possible folding paths.
Encryption key size exceeds 700 bits, far larger than common digital encryption standards. Unauthorized decoding becomes nearly impossible.
Faster imaging improves security
Earlier DNA origami encryption relied on slow imaging methods, but high-speed DNA PAINT overcomes that limitation.
Thousands of DNA structures can now be read in minutes rather than hours, while unsupervised clustering algorithms analyze patterns without training data, improving both speed and accuracy.
Research teams achieved readout accuracy close to 90 percent, even for three-dimensional DNA shapes.
Error-correction strategies further improve reliability by adding redundancy into pattern design, ensuring that correct messages remain recoverable even if some signals disappear.
Three-dimensional DNA origami also adds a new layer of protection beyond traditional two-dimensional designs. Information can be hidden within depth, angles, and spatial arrangement, making decoding more difficult for conventional imaging tools.
Super-resolution microscopy captures these complex patterns accurately, and researchers demonstrated successful encryption and decoding using wireframe shapes and rigid DNA assemblies.
More rigid structures improved accuracy by reducing shape flexibility.
Bridging biology and computing
Researchers showed that DNA can do two important jobs at once. DNA can store information, and DNA can also protect that information.
Some methods focus on reading stored data quickly, similar to how computers read files. Other methods focus on hiding information using complex DNA structures that are very hard to copy or guess.
DNA-based storage could help save large collections of information for a long time. Examples include scientific research, historical records, and medical files.
DNA encryption could also work in harsh conditions, such as high radiation or extreme heat, where normal electronics often stop working.
This research brings different fields together. Biology provides DNA, materials science helps shape it, electronics help read it, and machine learning helps decode it.
DNA is no longer seen only as part of living cells. DNA now appears as a long-lasting and secure way to store and protect information for the future.
The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.
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