MIcrobe-synthesised DNA NAnostructures for DIsplay-controlled Storage Cartridges

Project Information

MI-DNA DISC

Grant agreement ID: 101115215

DOI

10.3030/101115215

EC signature date 21 June 2023

Start date 1 September 2023

End date 31 August 2027

Funded under

• The European Innovation Council (EIC)

Total cost

€ 3 999 506,50

EU contribution

€ 3 999 506,50

Coordinated by

AIT AUSTRIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY GMBH
Austria

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MI-DNA DISC (MIcrobe-synthesised DNA NAnostructures for DIsplay-controlled Storage Cartridges)

Reporting period: 2023-09-01 to 2024-08-31

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

The ongoing digitalisation is leading to a massive increase of data generated. Conventional storing technologies can only be upscaled to a certain degree due to increasing material and energy costs. DNA is a promising storing medium due to its high data density and stability. Our vision is to develop a low-cost, energy-efficient, and fast data drive that is able to write, edit, store, and retrieve DNA-based data. The data drive is based on simple and easily available hardware components plus bacterial cells. To achieve this vision, we will exploit bacterial genetic mechanisms that were evolutionarily optimised for billions of years, such as colour-sensitive genetic switches and DNA exchange processes. We have defined two specific objectives to achieve our goal.
The first objective is to create a pipeline that converts digital data into DNA nanostructures with increased biostability compared to conventional duplex DNA.
The second objective is to develop a storing cartridge that uses bacteria for the storage of the DNA-based information.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

In the first year of the project, we started to develop a coding and encoding scheme. To evaluate these process, we have developed a digital twin that simulates the DNA writing and sequencing processes considering writing and sequencing errors as well as mutations in bacteria. In addition, we developed in silico tools to reduce wetlab experiments.
In a second work package, we started to evaluate bacteria that are most suitable for DNA data storage. We have selected three species that are suited for the development of the proof-of-concept as well as long-term storage. Further, we analysed genetic tools to manipulate bacterial DNA processes.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Since we started from a very low TRL (1), no results significantly above the state of the art were achieved in the first year.