Preservation of Data on DNA

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Robust Chemical Preservation of Digital Information on DNA with Error-Correcting Codes
By Robert N. Grass,* Reinhard Heckel, Michela Puddu, Daniela Paunescu, and Wendelin J. Stark

Abstract: Information, such as text printed on paper or images projected onto microfilm, can survive for over 500 years. However, the storage of digital information for time frames exceeding 50 years is challenging. Here we show that digital information can be stored on DNA and recovered without errors for considerably longer time frames. To allow for the perfect recovery of the information, we encapsulate the DNA in an inorganic matrix, and employ error-correcting codes to correct storage-related errors. Specifically, we translated 83KB of information to 4991 DNA segments, each 158 nucleotides long, which were encapsulated in silica. Accelerated aging experiments were performed to measure DNA decay kinetics, which show that data can be archived on DNA for millennia under a wide range of conditions. The original information could be recovered error free, even after treating the DNA in silica at 70°C for one week. This is thermally equivalent to storing information on DNA in centralEurope for 2,000 years.