Catalog Collaborates with Seagate to Research DNA-Based Storage and Computation

Catalog Technologies, Inc. is collaborating with Seagate Technology Holdings plc on several initiatives to advance scalable and automated DNA-based storage and computation platforms, including making DNA-based platforms up to 1,000x smaller.

The collaboration will center on using Seagate’s ‘lab on a chip’ technology to reduce the volume of chemistry required for DNA-based storage and computation. Using the Seagate platform, tiny droplets of synthetic DNA can test chemistry at smaller levels. These droplets will be processed through dozens of reservoirs on the Seagate platform. DNA from individual reservoirs is mixed to produce chemical reactions for a range of computing functions, including search and analytics, ML, and process optimization.

This research will provide valuable insights into possibilities for the next gen of DNA-based storage and computation platforms in various form factors, including desktop and IoT-sized versions.

Catalog’s 1st-gen automated and scalable DNA computation and storage platform, Shannon, is about the size of an average family kitchen and was developed as a proof of concept to demo the potential of DNA computation and storage.

The goals for the next-gen platform are to use smaller amounts of chemicals, require less energy, and operate almost anywhere – including in offices, on ships in the middle of the ocean, and potentially in space.

Why DNA for storage and computation
Computing applications, including advanced analytics, AI and ML, have proven the value of data. The IT industry has witnessed a proliferation of purpose-fit technologies over the last several years, including accelerators (GPUs, FPGAs), quantum computers, as well as extreme parallel computers. The advent of the DNA-based computer complements this portfolio, emphasizing low-energy use and a small footprint.

Catalog’s goal with this Seagate collaboration is to help advance the ability to preserve the world’s most valuable data sets, write and store them forever, and make them available for high-value decision making.

“Collaborating with an industry leader like Seagate will help speed our ability to advance DNA storage,” said Hyunjun Park, founding CEO, Catalog. “In addition to DNA storage, Catalog has already discovered the means to incorporate DNA into algorithms and applications with potential widespread cases including artificial intelligence, machine learning, data analytics, and secure computing. This work with Seagate is essential to eventually lowering costs and reducing the complexity of storage systems.”

“We are excited to collaborate with Catalog,” said Ed Gage, VP, Seagate Research. “Their leadership in DNA-based storage and compute, combined with Seagate’s long history of bringing innovative storage solutions to market, has the potential to accelerate the development and deployment of DNA-based solutions to address the challenges of the rapidly expanding datasphere.”