Microcapsules provide a protective environment in which ‘DNA files’ can be read without disturbing others.
A coffee mug full of DNA could contain all of the world’s data. And already we have the technology to retrieve the information we want from that swirling pool of biopolymers. The issue – well, one of the issues – is accessing files without damaging others. As it stands, copying a piece of DNA leaves a mark on others that share a solution. In other words, reading data will ultimately destroy it.
Researchers from Eindhoven University of Technology (TUE), along with Microsoft and several other universities, have come up with a method to maintain data integrity. They put every individual DNA file in its own microcapsule, providing a sheltered environment in which that particular piece of DNA can be manipulated without affecting others.
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