in situ Transformation of Information Into DNA Storage With Microfluidic Very Large‐Scale Integration Platform
DNA data storage offers a highly compact and efficient alternative to traditional data storage methods. However, DNA writing remains time-consuming and relies on specialized infrastructure. Here, a novel, high-throughput, in situ DNA writing strategy is introduced using microfluidic very-large-scale integration (VLSI) chips inspired by dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) architecture. This method enables rapid encoding of binary data into DNA via overlap-extension PCR (OE-PCR) and programmable microfluidic partitioning. Using a widely accessible integrated microfluidic circuit, 2304 bits of data within 4 h encoded, demonstrating scalable, parallelized DNA writing on a benchtop instrument. Next-generation sequencing confirmed high-fidelity encoding with excellent signal-to-noise ratios. Furthermore, DNA data can be quickly decoded using a microfluidic VLSI qPCR platform, reducing the write-to-read latency to under 8 h. This proof-of-concept highlights the potential of programmable microfluidic VLSI platforms for efficient, rapid, and portable DNA writing and decoding, paving the way for scalable, high-throughput, decentralized DNA data storage and gene synthesis.
Authors
- Lih Feng Cheow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1766-0024)
- Shaun Wei Yang Ngang (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-5357-8971)
- Dongdong Liu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6172-0832)
Institutions
- Shanghai University (CN)
- National University of Singapore (SG)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Small
- Published
- 2025-05-02
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/smll.202412225
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- DNA and Biological Computing
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.81
Funders
- National Research Foundation