DNA Canvas Data Storage Using PCR Amplification
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Current DNA storage methods are costly due to high DNA synthesis prices and require large, power-consuming facilities, while nanofabrication needs efficient and cost-effective information storage systems with high volumetric density and long retention periods.
Innovation Solution
A DNA canvas system using uniquely-coded polymer strands, such as DNA oligonucleotides, immobilized on a substrate at nanoscale resolutions, with iterative proximity ligation to create reference and data maps, enabling amplifiable and cost-effective data storage and retrieval.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DNA synthesis is used to write information, then data storage is achieved, but the cost becomes extremely high
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses PCR amplification to create multiple copies of DNA strands that were initially written once. This copying mechanism allows the system to retrieve data without repeatedly synthesizing new DNA, dramatically reducing the cost per read operation while maintaining reliable data storage capability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs preliminary DNA synthesis to create a master copy, then uses this master copy for repeated amplification and retrieval. By performing the expensive synthesis action only once and subsequent cheaper amplification actions multiple times, the system resolves the contradiction between reliable storage and manufacturing cost
2Quantity of substance
If large data centers are built for exabyte-scale storage, then storage capacity is achieved, but energy consumption and facility requirements increase dramatically
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical parameters of storage by transitioning from macro-scale magnetic or flash storage to nano-scale DNA molecules. This parameter change enables exabyte-scale storage capacity while reducing energy consumption because DNA storage requires no active power for data retention, only for the occasional read/write operations
Solution Approach 2:
The patent moves storage from the macroscopic dimension of hard drives and data centers to the molecular dimension of DNA strands. This dimensional transition allows achieving vast storage capacity in a minimal physical space with negligible energy consumption for maintenance
3Ease of operation
If traditional storage devices are used, then ease of operation is maintained, but volumetric density and retention period are insufficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces mechanical storage systems (hard drives with moving parts) with molecular DNA-based storage. This substitution eliminates mechanical wear and degradation, enabling retention periods of thousands of years while maintaining ease of operation through automated PCR amplification and sequencing processes
4Ease of manufacture
If DNA synthesis price decreases slightly, then manufacturing cost improves marginally, but it remains higher than hard disk or flash storage by many orders of magnitude
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses PCR amplification to create exponential copies of the stored DNA. One master DNA strand can be amplified into billions of copies, allowing data to be read without synthesizing new DNA each time. This copying mechanism reduces the effective cost per storage unit by many orders of magnitude compared to repeated synthesis
Solution Approach 2:
The patent performs the expensive DNA synthesis action only once to create a master copy, then uses cheap PCR amplification for all subsequent operations. This preliminary action strategy transforms the cost structure from high per-operation synthesis costs to low per-operation amplification costs
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The DNA canvas system provides a cost-effective, high-density data storage solution with long retention periods, allowing for efficient data retrieval and replication while reducing storage costs and energy consumption.
Implementation Method 1
The method can comprise providing a DNA canvas, wherein the DNA canvas comprises a plurality of oligonucleotides immobilized on a substrate at a known coordinate
Implementation Method 2
conducting iterative proximity ligation on each pair of adjacent oligonucleotides to provide a reference map of the DNA canvas
Implementation Method 3
synthesizing a complementary strand; DNA polymerase extends the complementary strand
Data Source
AI summary
A DNA canvas comprising a plurality of uniquely-coded polymer strands immobilized on a substrate can be used to provide a reference map comprising a set of reference association polymers having a dual-barcode generated by nondestructively associating spatially-adjacent polymers on the DNA canvas, encoding digital information on the DNA canvas to provide a patterned DNA canvas by disabling a pattern of selected plurality of polymers strands to provide a set of data association polymers having a single bar code that corresponds to a single bit in the bitmap. The digital information capable of being retrieved by sequencing the set of reference and data association polymers, computationally recovering spatial locations of each of the selected polymer strands that were disabled and recovering the bitmap encoded in the pattern of disabled polymer strands by comparison of the set of reference association polymer sequences to the set of data association polymer sequences.