Abstract:

With the rapid growth of digital data production, there is a strong motivation for developing new data storage media. DNA, as a medium for data storage, has attracted the attention of many research institutions and enterprises. DNA based storage technology is expeditiously evolving and has great market potential. It is predicted that, by 2024, about 30% of digital businesses will begin to try to use DNA for data storage. To meet the huge market demand, a matching patent scheme has become extraordinarily important for winning the initiative in the competition. This article analyzes the development trend of DNA synthesis and storage technology from the perspective of patent analysis. We have searched and obtained 1833 patents related to DNA synthesis and storage on a global scale (excluding gene sequencing patents required for DNA storage technology, also excluding DNA synthesis patents dedicated to diagnosis, treatment and other applications) by comprehensively using keywords, international patent classification, patentee, inventor search and other methods. Based on individual reading and comparison, we have utilized patent value analysis, citation analysis, cluster analysis, technical efficacy analysis and other methods to select representative patents that are expected to provide references for further investigations, patent layout and operation decisions in this field. To achieve the goal of using DNA to store digital information, the synthesis of oligonucleotides or polynucleotides is the basis of "writing". So far, the global oligonucleotide or polynucleotide synthesis technology has experienced three generations of development. The first and second generations use phosphoramidite chemical synthesis method, while the third generation is based on the principle of enzymatic synthesis. Global patent analysis has revealed that the number of patents published each year greatly increases while the synthesis technology of oligonucleotides or polynucleotides evolves to phosphoramidite chemical with combination of microarray-based chip technology. Many established companies have joined the development of the second generation of synthetic technology. The emergence of the third generation synthesis technology, which is based on the use of polymerases such as terminal deoxyribonucleoside transferase, is also reflected by the number of patents. Meanwhile, techniques required for DNA based storage, such as nucleic acid assembly, sequence design, and information storage, are also rapidly developing. The patentees corresponding to these technologies have shown obvious cross-industry integration features, since companies such as Microsoft, Intel, and Huawei have successively joined the competition and cooperation of DNA storage patents. It is foreseeable that in the future DNA based storage technology will inevitably involve the convergence of technologies in multiple fields such as Chemistry, Materials, Biology, Informatics, Mechanics, and Electronics. The further integration of these technologies would promote a regularly upgrading development path similar to "Moore's Law" in the field of DNA storage. Based on high-throughput, high-efficiency, high-fidelity and low-cost DNA synthesis, using comprehensive information encoding and decoding, integrating "edit"-"write"-"read"-"dissolve" functions, DNA storage system in the future will become a truly "usable" solution.

Key words: DNA synthesis, DNA based information storage, patent, knowledge map

摘要：

随着大数据技术的发展以及数据的快速增长，DNA作为信息存储的介质，受到诸多研究机构和企业的重视。DNA存储技术发展空间和市场潜力巨大。有预测认为，到2024年将有约30%的数字业务开始尝试用DNA存储信息。在巨大的市场需求面前，与之相匹配的专利布局成为在竞争中赢得主动的先决条件。本文从专利的角度，梳理分析了DNA合成与存储技术的发展趋势。要实现DNA的合成及存储，寡核苷酸或多核苷酸的合成是“写”的根本，目前，全球寡核苷酸或多核苷酸合成技术已经经历了三代发展历程，第一代和第二代均采用亚磷酰胺化学合成法，第三代合成以酶促合成为原理。根据全球专利分析显示，每年所公开的专利数量快速增长，一批新创立企业加入到第二代合成技术的开发中。随着利用末端脱氧核糖核苷转移酶等聚合酶的酶促合成技术的开发，一批新专利权人着手布局第三代技术的专利。同时，DNA存储所需的核酸组装、序列设计、信息存储等相关技术也发展迅速，这些技术相对应的专利权人呈现出明显的跨界融合特征，微软、英特尔、华为等信息技术企业纷纷加入到DNA信息存储技术专利的竞争与合作之中。可以预见的是，未来的DNA存储技术必然涉及化学、材料、生物、信息、机械、电子等多领域的技术融合，而技术的进一步融合或将推动DNA存储领域呈现出类似“摩尔定律”技术定期升级的发展路径。

关键词: DNA合成, DNA信息存储, 专利, 知识图谱