Emily Chan
One drawback of embedding the DNA into the polymer is that it takes several hours, but the amount of time can be reduced with further optimization.
The researchers have called it the T-REX method, which stands for Thermoset-Reinforced Xeropreservation. It only takes a few hours to set the DNA at room temperature. It can also store DNA molecules of all sizes.
The team demonstrated their accomplishment by embedding a DNA sequence that encoded the music for the theme song of Jurassic Park and removing it shortly after.
Finally, they sequenced the molecule and verified that no mistakes had been made in the DNA sequence.
Banal and Bathe even started a company called Cache DNA to continue improving their DNA storage technology.
They believe that the technology will first be used to store genetic information to make personalized medicinal approaches possible, but other uses are expected in the future.
The new preservation method might just kickstart the practice of storing digital information in DNA.
The study was published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.
