R&D: Nanopore-Based DNA HDDs for Rewritable and Secure Storage

Nano Letters has published an article written by Kaikai Chen, Jinbo Zhu, Filip Bošković, and Ulrich F. Keyser, Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, JJ Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.

Abstract: “Nanopores are powerful single-molecule tools for label-free sensing of nanoscale molecules including DNA that can be used for building designed nanostructures and performing computations. Here, DNA hard drives (DNA-HDs) are introduced based on DNA nanotechnology and nanopore sensing as a rewritable molecular memory system, allowing for storing, operating, and reading data in the changeable three-dimensional structure of DNA. Writing and erasing data are significantly improved compared to previous molecular storage systems by employing controllable attachment and removal of molecules on a long double-stranded DNA. Data reading is achieved by detecting the single molecules at the millisecond time scale using nanopores. The DNA-HD also ensures secure data storage where the data can only be read after providing the correct physical molecular keys. Our approach allows for easy-writing and easy-reading, rewritable, and secure data storage toward a promising miniature scale integration for molecular data storage and computation.“