关键词: DNA分子, 信息存储, DNA合成, DNA测序, 存储密度

Abstract:

With the development of information technology, the approach of digital information storage has gone through unprecedented changes. Traditional storage media such as magnetic and optical devices have gradually fallen short to satisfy the global need for data storage, which calls for storage media with more effective data storage. The extraordinary stability, storage capacity, and storage density of DNA molecules promise it to become a novel information storage medium. In this review, we first introduce the basic principles and processes of using DNA molecules to store artificial information, and highlight the latest research results of DNA storage during the past few years. Next, we compare DNA molecules with current mainstream data storage media in terms of performance and cost. DNA molecules excel in data storage density, storage life, maintenance cost and its potential involvement with living cells. Finally, we provide a detailed review of factors that curb the development of DNA information storage, such as data security, writing and reading speeds and storage cost. Meanwhile, we briefly give comments on emerging biotechnological areas that potentially bring breakthroughs to the field of DNA storage, such as DNA barcoding and DNA origami. Perceivably, information storage with DNA molecules provide a novel solution to cold data storage. However, we would not refrain from the optimistic conjecture that multidisciplinary principles and techniques will continuously expand the application scenarios for DNA information storage.

Key words: DNA molecule, information storage, DNA synthesis, DNA sequencing, coding density