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July 26, 2017 - CRISPR–Cas encoding of a digital movie into the genomes of a population of living bacteria
Nature, 2017, Vol 547, p345-349
By George Church out of the Department of Genetics and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University
This project was funded primary by multiple NIH grants
DNA is an excellent medium for archiving data. Recent efforts have illustrated the potential for information storage in DNA using synthesized oligonucleotides assembled in vitro1–6. A relatively unexplored avenue of information storage in DNA is the ability to write information into the genome of a living cell by the addition of nucleotides over time. Using the Cas1–Cas2 integrase, the CRISPR–Cas microbial immune system stores the nucleotide content of invading viruses to confer adaptive immunity. When harnessed, this system has the potential to write arbitrary information into the genome8. Here we use theCRISPR–Cas system to encode the pixel values of black and white images and a short movie into the genomes of a population of living bacteria. In doing so, we push the technical limits of this information storage system and optimize strategies to minimize those limitations. We also uncover underlying principles of theCRISPR–Cas adaptation system, including sequence determinants of spacer acquisition that are relevant for understanding both the basic biology of bacterial adaptation and its technological applications. This work demonstrates that this system can capture and stably store practical amounts of real data within the genomes of populations of living cells.
My takeaways:
1. While the application they demonstrated in the main manuscript is cool, the real value of this paper is in the details of how they were able to achieve data reading and writing using DNA. They conducted many more control and mechanistic experiments than the actual reading and writing of data experiments. They identified a viable pathway to using bacteria and DNA to store information. This will have many obvious applications in data storage and protection.
2. While the technology is exciting, it is still very much in its infancy. I don’t expect to see this technology hit the markets for at least a decade.
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By Michael BruckmanNature, 2017, Vol 547, p345-349
By George Church out of the Department of Genetics and the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University
This project was funded primary by multiple NIH grants
DNA is an excellent medium for archiving data. Recent efforts have illustrated the potential for information storage in DNA using synthesized oligonucleotides assembled in vitro1–6. A relatively unexplored avenue of information storage in DNA is the ability to write information into the genome of a living cell by the addition of nucleotides over time. Using the Cas1–Cas2 integrase, the CRISPR–Cas microbial immune system stores the nucleotide content of invading viruses to confer adaptive immunity. When harnessed, this system has the potential to write arbitrary information into the genome8. Here we use theCRISPR–Cas system to encode the pixel values of black and white images and a short movie into the genomes of a population of living bacteria. In doing so, we push the technical limits of this information storage system and optimize strategies to minimize those limitations. We also uncover underlying principles of theCRISPR–Cas adaptation system, including sequence determinants of spacer acquisition that are relevant for understanding both the basic biology of bacterial adaptation and its technological applications. This work demonstrates that this system can capture and stably store practical amounts of real data within the genomes of populations of living cells.
My takeaways:
1. While the application they demonstrated in the main manuscript is cool, the real value of this paper is in the details of how they were able to achieve data reading and writing using DNA. They conducted many more control and mechanistic experiments than the actual reading and writing of data experiments. They identified a viable pathway to using bacteria and DNA to store information. This will have many obvious applications in data storage and protection.
2. While the technology is exciting, it is still very much in its infancy. I don’t expect to see this technology hit the markets for at least a decade.