Nanopore-Based DNA Hard Drives for Rewritable and Secure Data Storage

TLDR

Nanopores are powerful single‑molecule tools for label‑free sensing of nanoscale molecules, including DNA, and can be used to build designed nanostructures and perform computations. The authors introduce DNA hard drives (DNA‑HDs) that use DNA nanotechnology and nanopore sensing as a rewritable molecular memory system for storing, operating, and reading data in DNA’s three‑dimensional structure. Data reading is performed by detecting single molecules at millisecond resolution with nanopores, and security is ensured by requiring correct physical molecular keys to access the stored information. Writing and erasing are significantly improved over prior molecular storage systems, enabling easy writing, easy reading, rewritability, and secure data storage toward miniature integration for molecular data storage and computation.

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.