Repurposing DNA for information processing and storage

Abstract

DNA is the principal carrier of biological information. It is present in nearly all forms of life and it enables the transfer of genetic information between many generations. Beyond its natural role, DNA is also a programmable material for nanoscale engineering. In this work, we harnessed the modularity and programmability of synthetic DNA to build information processing and storage applications. In Chapter 1 and 2, we developed two approaches to build DNA-based molecular classifiers to interact with native RNA samples and perform rapid gene expression diagnostics. In Chapter 3, we explored DNA as a storage medium for digital information. Specifically, we explore how synthetic DNA can be manipulated to form long concatemers to facilitate nanopore sequencing readout, enabling a faster and real-time read-head for DNA storage. Altogether, this body of work demonstrates how DNA nanotechnology is a powerful tool to manipulate information at a nanoscale and it can enable the development of new applications spanning multiple scientific disciplines.