For billions of years, DNA has quietly carried the blueprints for all life on Earth, encoding instructions for everything from the simplest bacteria to the most complex mammals. Relative to this timeline, the discovery of DNA’s double helix in 1953 happened only an instant ago. But now, in a clever move, scientists are harnessing DNA not just to record life’s instructions, but as a powerful biological computer.
Researchers at North Carolina State University and Johns Hopkins University have developed a technology that, for the first time, enables DNA to perform the full suite of computing functions — storing, retrieving, erasing, and rewriting data — just like a traditional computer. In early tests, this DNA computer even solved puzzles, like simplified versions of sudoku and chess.
DNA: The Future of Data Storage?
DNA is nature’s ultimate data storage medium, capable of storing vast amounts of information in the tiniest volume. Each cell in the human body contains approximately 800 MB of data, according to scientists’ estimates. But, despite its potential, synthetic systems have struggled to match the versatility of electronic devices when it comes to managing data.
Until now.
This new technology, described as a “primordial DNA store and compute engine,” promises to change that. Researchers have demonstrated that DNA-based systems can not only store data, but also perform complex tasks like computing, rewriting, and moving information.
The key to this breakthrough lies in a soft polymer scaffold known as a dendricolloid. These tiny, tree-like structures offer a stable environment for DNA, holding the delicate molecules securely while still allowing them to perform complex tasks. By using this material, the researchers were able to achieve what was once thought impossible: a DNA system that can manage data reliably, even after repeated use.
“We’ve demonstrated that these DNA-based technologies are viable, because we’ve made one,” says Albert Keung, a molecular biologist and co-lead of the study.
Solving Sudoku with DNA
In experiments, the system was able to process basic calculations, including solving small puzzles such as 3×3 chess grids and sudoku. The researchers hope that their work will spark a new era of molecular computing, one that goes beyond simple storage and into the realm of full-fledged biological machines.
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What makes this system remarkable compared to previous DNA-based computers is its flexibility. By using enzymes to copy and rewrite data without harming the original DNA, the researchers were able to simulate file deletion and retrieval — the DNA equivalent of erasing a hard drive and filling it with new files. This opens the door for DNA systems that can handle complex, evolving data sets.
“We wanted to develop something that would inspire the field of molecular computing,” says Keung. “And we hope what we’ve done here is a step in that direction.”
The advantages of DNA storage are staggering. With DNA’s incredible data density, a sugar-cube-sized amount could store 10 million gigabytes (GB) of data. That’s the equivalent of thousands of laptops crammed into an object smaller than a pencil eraser. And the stability of the system is remarkable — researchers believe it could last for millennia under the right conditions.
This makes DNA an ideal candidate for long-term, archival storage. If you’re imagining vast data centers shrinking to the size of a closet, you’re not far off the mark. You could store this data for thousands or even millions of years in frozen DNA. Moreover, the team’s material can withstand more than 170 cycles of dehydration and rehydration — compared to just 60 cycles with DNA stored in simpler solutions — making it incredibly robust for long-term use.
“The ability to distinguish DNA information from the nanofibers it’s stored on allows us to perform many of the same functions you can do with electronic devices,” the researchers wrote in their study. This includes copying data without damaging the original, and erasing and rewriting specific pieces of information.
What Does This Mean for the Future?
Although the current system is far from rivaling supercomputers in speed or power, the long-term vision is compelling. A DNA-based archive that stores the sum of all human knowledge that could survive the rise and fall of civilizations. Researchers also see potential applications in fields like medicine, where biological data could be processed in real-time within living organisms.
For now, the research is still in its early stages. But by solving these foundational challenges, scientists like Keung hope to inspire a new wave of molecular computing. “We wanted to develop something that would inspire the field,” he says. “And we hope what we’ve done here is a step in that direction.”
While the road to a DNA-based future is still long, this latest breakthrough signals a fascinating new frontier in computing.
The findings appeared in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.
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