Mobile and Self‐Sustained Data Storage in an Extremophile Genomic DNA

Abstract

Abstract DNA has been pursued as a novel biomaterial for digital data storage. While large‐scale data storage and random access have been achieved in DNA oligonucleotide pools, repeated data accessing requires constant data replenishment, and these implementations are confined in professional facilities. Here, a mobile data storage system in the genome of the extremophile Halomonas bluephagenesis, which enables dual‐mode storage, dynamic data maintenance, rapid readout, and robust recovery. The system relies on two key components: A versatile genetic toolbox for the integration of 10–100 kb scale synthetic DNA into H. bluephagenesis genome and an efficient error correction coding scheme targeting noisy nanopore sequencing reads. The storage and repeated retrieval of 5 KB data under non‐laboratory conditions are demonstrated. The work highlights the potential of DNA data storage in domestic and field scenarios, and expands its application domain from archival data to frequently accessed data.

Keywords

• biomaterials
• DNA data storage
• error correction codes
• genome engineering
• nanopore sequencing