Integrating DNA-Based Memory in Water-Resistant Electrospun Polymer Fibers for Nondestructive Data Retrieval

Abstract

DNA is a digital memory storage medium with advantageous properties, including longevity and high information density. Embedding information-bearing oligonucleotides into materials for long-term storage has gained traction by leveraging modern coding, DNA synthesis, and sequencing technologies. Here, we present a versatile way to store digital information in synthetic DNA embedded in polymer fibers. These composite fibers are made of hydrophilic (poly(vinyl alcohol) and poly(ethylene oxide)) and hydrophobic (polycaprolactone and cellulose acetate) polymers synthesized by solution electrospinning and followed by cross-linking to enhance water resistance. We demonstrate the on-demand retrieval from all fiber compositions of short and long messages encoded in a single oligonucleotide and a pool of oligonucleotides, respectively. DNA/cellulose acetate fiber composites are true nondestructive readout memory: repeated access to messages stored in fibers is afforded without damaging the integrity of fibers or DNA. We envisage that our simple and robust manufacturing approach will contribute to the development of scalable and accessible DNA data storage solutions.