Shipman SL, Nivala J, Macklis JD, Church GM. CRISPR-Cas
encoding of a digital movie into the genomes of a population of living bacteria.
Nature. 2017 Jul 20;547(7663):345-349.
Abstract
DNA is an excellent medium for archiving data. Recent
efforts have illustrated the potential for information storage in DNA using
synthesized oligonucleotides assembled in vitro. A relatively unexplored avenue
of information storage in DNA is the ability to write information into the
genome of a living cell by the addition of nucleotides over time. Using the
Cas1-Cas2 integrase, the CRISPR-Cas microbial immune system stores the
nucleotide content of invading viruses to confer adaptive immunity. When
harnessed, this system has the potential to write arbitrary information into
the genome. Here we use the CRISPR-Cas system to encode the pixel values of
black and white images and a short movie into the genomes of a population of
living bacteria. In doing so, we push the technical limits of this information
storage system and optimize strategies to minimize those limitations. We also
uncover underlying principles of the CRISPR-Cas adaptation system, including sequence
determinants of spacer acquisition that are relevant for understanding both the
basic biology of bacterial adaptation and its technological applications. This
work demonstrates that this system can capture and stably store practical
amounts of real data within the genomes of populations of living cells.
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