This project addresses the critical challenge of global data storage by developing a sustainable, high-density alternative to traditional silicon-based hard drives. While DNA has long been recognized as a powerful medium for long-term data preservation, existing technologies are often slow and limited to “write-once” applications, like an old-fashioned CD-ROM. This research aims to overcome these hurdles by transforming living cells into a re-writable and self-maintaining memory system, creating what is known as “Active Molecular Memory.” By engineering cells to record, erase, and update information directly within their own genetic code, the project establishes a foundation for future technologies in environmental monitoring and personalized medicine. Beyond its technical contributions, the award serves the national interest by advancing the frontier of post-silicon computing, ensuring continued American leadership in biotechnology and information science. To support the next generation of innovators, the project integrates educational outreach, including virtual reality modules for K-12 students and research training for undergraduate students, fostering a public that is better prepared to engage with the ethical and technical dimensions of emerging bio-computing technologies.
The goal of this project is to establish an Active In Vivo Storage (AIS) framework that transforms the living genome from a passive archival ledger into a dynamic computational register. The research introduces a closed-loop, distributed biological memory architecture that replaces external DNA synthesis with programmable in situ state transitions. The technical approach is organized across three integrated layers of biological hierarchy. At the physical layer, prime editing is utilized to implement re-writable genomic registers, focusing on quantifying performance metrics such as write endurance and raw bit error rates. At the bus layer, the research addresses the challenge of non-destructive random-access readout through CRISPR-mediated transcription and the packaging of data-carrying RNA into engineered protein nanocages. A significant component of the work involves optimizing input/output bandwidth through latency decomposition and the deployment of synthetic export signals to overcome nuclear-to-cytoplasmic bottlenecks. Finally, at the network layer, the project develops distributed consensus protocols for biological local area networks (Bio-LANs). By utilizing erasure coding strategies, such as Reed-Solomon codes, the research ensures data resilience against stochastic node failures within cellular populations. This system-level integration of molecular engineering and computational theory establishes a new foundation for networked molecular computing, providing a scalable blueprint for future post-silicon information systems.
This award reflects NSF’s statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation’s intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.