Interoperable end-to-end platform of scalable and sustainable high-throughput technologies for DNA-based digital data storage

Our data-intensive era requires innovative and sustainable data storage solutions: current technologies have hit several sustainability limits in terms of storage capacity, energy consumption and use of rare and toxic materials. A significant share of new data is not yet stored beyond the short term, and conventional storage media do not offer adequate longevity, data density, or cost efficiency characteristics to meet global demand. As nature’s data storage medium of choice, DNA offers an ideal alternative with unmatched information density and stability for millennia.

The PEARL-DNA multidisciplinary consortium focuses on the development and assessment of a novel highthroughput, end-to-end PoC platform for DNA-based digital data storage built on scalable and interoperable systems for block-by-block assembled DNA. The consortium aims to substantially advance the state of the art in terms of throughput and data integrity for the mid- to long-term storage of large datasets. The innovative platform will enable 10+ MB/s data-to-DNA writing speeds in subnanolitre droplet DNA assembly for the very first time, while eliminating the need for plastic consumables. In addition, novel error correction, compression, and data standard modules will be developed, as well as a cutting-edge storage container system for maintenance-free, long-term preservation of DNA at room temperature.

The fully modular and interoperable platform will facilitate integration with other DNA-based storage solutions and accelerate the uptake of the technology. Using DNA as a commercially viable and widely applicable data storage medium strongly relies on intertwining a wide range of technologies from multiple disciplines, such as life sciences, engineering, and information technology.

Project partners:

• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universitaet Hannover,
• Imagene,
• Technische Hochschule Wildau,
• Haute Ecole Specialisee de Suisse Occidentale, and
• Accelopment Schweiz AG.

More info about PEARL-DNA project and its progress will be available on the project’s website https://www.pearl-dna.eu/.

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Innovation Council and SMEs Executive Agency (EISMEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them. Swiss participants in this project are supported by the Swiss State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI) under contract numbers 23.00332 and 23.00328.