The DNA Data Storage Alliance launched the first DNA-based data storage specification this week. The specification outlines a method for encoding essential information in DNA data archives, which is critical to developing and commercializing interoperable storage ecosystems.
DNA data storage uses short strings of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) called oligonucleotides (oligos), which are mixed together with no specific physical ordering scheme. Such storage media lack dedicated controllers and organizational means to know the proximity of one media subcomponent to another. DNA storage is very different from traditional media such as tape, HDD and SSD, which have a fixed structure and controller to read and write data from the structured media. DNA lacks a physical structure and requires unique methods to initiate data retrieval, which brings specificities to its standardization.
To address this issue, the SNIA DNA Archive Rosetta Stone (DARS) working group (part of the DNA Data Storage Alliance) developed two specifications: “Zone Zero” and “Zone One” to facilitate the process of launching a DNA archive.
Sector zero serves as a starting point, providing archive readers with the codec to identify the entity responsible for synthesizing the DNA (e.g., Dell, Microsoft, Twist Bioscience) and the CODEC used to encode sector one (e.g., Super Codec, Hyper Codec, Jimbob device). The zero sector consists of 70 bases: the first 35 bases identify the supplier, the last 35 bases identify the codec. The information in sector zero enables access and decoding of the data stored in sector one. The amount of data stored in SZ is small and fits a single oligonucleotide.
The first sector extends this to include a content description, a file table, and the parameters required to transfer the data to the sequencer. The specification ensures that the body of the archive is accessible and readable, paving the way for data retrieval. The first region contains exactly 150 bases and will span multiple oligonucleotides.
“A major goal of the DNA Data Storage Alliance is to develop and publish specifications and standards to allow the development of an interoperable DNA data storage ecosystem,said Dave Landsman, DNA Data Storage Consortium Board of Directors.With the release of the Alliance’s first specification, we have taken an important step toward achieving this goal. Zones Zero and One are now public, allowing companies in the space to adopt and implement them.“
The DNA Data Storage Alliance is led by Catalog Technologies, Inc., Quantum Corporation, Twist Bioscience Corporation, and Western Digital (although we’re not sure whether Western Digital’s NAND or HDD division is responsible for developing the specification). At the same time, many industry giants, including Microsoft, also support the DNA Data Storage Alliance.
Source: SNIA