Biosynth: Fraunhofer researches biological mass storage devices

Within the project »BIOSYNTH – Modular high-throughput micro-platform for future mass data storage from synthetic biology« funded by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in an internal programme, a novel microchip platform for efficient cell-free and digitally controllable biosynthesis is to be developed. The Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS is working with three other institutes to research the foundations for the mass data storage systems of the future with extremely high storage density.

DNA is known as the basic medium for storing genomic information. However, DNA can also be used to store binary data - a future technology that is currently regarded as basic research in Europe. This involves transferring microbiological processes from nature to artificial data systems. Writing DNA on microchips is still a major challenge, but also a huge opportunity, say the experts. Information could be stored in very high density directly on a microchip using a specific three-dimensional and digitally controllable arrangement of base pairs.

Biological mass storage devices with high storage density

The Biosynth project therefore combines the expertise of four Fraunhofer Institutes with the aim of significantly improving DNA synthesis. This is achieved by means of a universal microchip platform for DNA, RNA and peptide writing. The challenge: previous synthesis approaches (including ink-jet) are not very efficient at generating long DNA segments.

In addition, they generate numerous inaccuracies that are time-consuming and expensive to correct, according to the researchers. In addition, the corresponding device technology is large and cost-intensive. »The Biosynth project therefore aims to lay the technological, biological and information technology foundations for biological mass data storage with extremely high storage density and ageing resistance«, explains Dr Uwe Vogel, consortium leader from the Fraunhofer FEP.

Mass storage based on DNA, RNA or peptides

The project aims to develop a platform based on conventional microchip manufacturing technologies for writing software-defined nucleotide sequences (DNA, RNA or peptides). In the future, this will enable the highly parallel and high-throughput production of mass data storage devices through duplication in the volume production processes of the microelectronics industry. In a microplatform designed and manufactured using microelectronics methods, miniaturised reaction cells with reaction volumes in the picolitre range for cell-free synthesis are to be integrated into a freely programmable active matrix array arrangement at micrometre level. Suitable thermal and photonic components as well as surface functionalisation for each reaction cell enable transport, immobilisation, activation and monitoring of the process conditions and results.

Source: IT Verlag für Informationstechnik GmbH from 10 November 2022