By Eric Stann, University of Missouri

Around the world, scientists are exploring an unexpected solution to the growing data crisis: storing digital information in synthetic DNA. The idea is simple but powerful — DNA is one of the most compact, durable information systems on Earth.But one issue has held the field back. Once data is written into DNA, it can’t be changed. Now, researchers at the University of Missouri are helping solve that problem by transforming DNA from a one-time medium into a rewritable digital hard drive.

“DNA is incredible — it stores life’s blueprint in a tiny, stable package,” Li-Qun “Andrew” Gu, professor of chemical and biomedical engineering, Mizzou’s College of Engineering, said. “We wanted to see if we could store and rewrite information at the molecular level faster, simpler and more efficiently than ever before.”

Why DNA?
Today’s computers store information as a series of zeros and ones. DNA-based data storage goes a step further by turning those bits into sequences of letters — A, C, G and T — the same building blocks that make up DNA.

To store digital files in DNA, scientists translate the zeros and ones that make up photos, videos and other data into sequences of those four chemical letters. Machines then build synthetic strands carrying that exact pattern.

DNA’s advantages are striking. It can hold huge amounts of information in tiny volumes — theoretically, all the world’s data could fit into something the size of a shoebox. When kept dry and cool, it remains stable for thousands of years. And storing data this way requires far less energy than running massive data centers.

Until now, however, DNA storage has been permanent. Once the data is encoded, it can’t be updated or reused — a major limitation for anything beyond long-term archiving.

That’s where Gu’s team comes in. They’ve developed a method that allows data stored in DNA to be erased and overwritten repeatedly. This rewritability is essential for any storage system meant for regular, everyday use.

Their method allows DNA to function less like a static archive and more like a modern hard drive — one with extraordinary storage density and longevity.

Retrieving the information requires reading the DNA sequence. The Mizzou team is developing a compact electronic device paired with a molecular-scale detector called a nanopore sensor. As the DNA passes through the sensor, it creates subtle electrical changes that software translates back into zeros and ones and, ultimately, the original data file.

Mizzou’s system is faster, simpler and more environmentally friendly than existing methods. In the long term, Gu hopes to shrink the device into something about the size of a USB thumb drive.

High-capacity and ultra-secure
DNA stores information in 3 dimensions rather than on a flat computer chip, giving it unparalleled storage density. And because it exists as a physical molecule rather than a constantly connected electronic system, it offers additional protection against hackers.

“Think of it like a super-secure safe deposit box for your digital life,” Gu said. “DNA storage could protect everything from personal memories and important documents to scientific data and corporate archives — without the added cybersecurity concerns.”

While many research groups are advancing DNA storage, Mizzou’s work moves the field closer to a practical, rewritable system — a key milestone in making DNA a long-term replacement for some of today’s energy-hungry storage technologies.

The study, Advancing synthesis-free and enzyme-free rewritable DNA memory through frameshift encoding and nanopore duplex interruption decoding, was published in PNAS Nexus.

This project, a collaboration with Shi-Jie Chen at Mizzou’s College of Arts and Science, Shiyou Chen at Mizzou’s School of Medicine and Shinghua Ding at Mizzou’s College of Engineering, represents a highly interdisciplinary field of physics, biology, data and materials sciences — all disciplines that are connected through biomolecular engineering. It also plays a key role in advancing the group’s STEM goals, including actively involving undergraduate and K-12 students in hands-on research experiences that inspire learning, discovery and future innovation.