R&D: Molecular Digital Data Storage Using DNA From University of Washington and Microsoft

Nature Reviews Genetics has published an article written by Luis Ceze, Jeff Nivala, Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA, and Karin Strauss, Microsoft Research, Redmond, WA, USA.

Abstract: “Molecular data storage is an attractive alternative for dense and durable information storage, which is sorely needed to deal with the growing gap between information production and the ability to store data. DNA is a clear example of effective archival data storage in molecular form. In this Review, we provide an overview of the process, the state of the art in this area and challenges for mainstream adoption. We also survey the field of in vivo molecular memory systems that record and store information within the DNA of living cells, which, together with in vitro DNA data storage, lie at the growing intersection of computer systems and biotechnology.“