Undergraduate student Sam Smith purifies a DNA origami via gel electrophoresis under the supervision of Dr. Luca Piantanida.
Our world is drowning in its own memories. Every photo, every “like” and every byte we upload demands physical space and massive amounts of energy to maintain; it’s estimated that if we put all the information we’ve ever created onto a standard DVD, the stack would stretch to the moon and back more than 50 times.
It’s a hunger that traditional tech no longer satisfies.
But inside Dr. Will Hughes’ DNA nanotechnology lab at UBC Okanagan, students and researchers are pivoting from silicon to biology, trying to find new ways to store this vast amount of information.
A simplified model of how single strands of DNA assemble into a DNA origami structure.
“Digital data is just strings of zeros and ones,” explains Dr. Luca Piantanida, a research associate in the lab. “What we’re doing is creating physical patterns at the nanoscale that represent those same zeros and ones, but using DNA.”
Through a technique called DNA origami, synthetic strands are folded into tiny rectangular nanostructures that turn biological material into the world’s most compact hard drive. Specific positions on those structures can either contain a short DNA strand or remain empty. Under a powerful fluorescence microscope, those positions either light up or stay dark.
A representative image of DNA origami, with the bright spots representing data.
A bright spot represents a “1.” A dark spot represents a “0.” Together, those patterns form digital information that can be stored.
“It’s kind of like a microscopic Lite-Brite,” explains Sam Smith, an undergraduate student studying for a double major in computer science and medical and molecular biochemistry. “We’re physically building patterns that represent data.”
Smith, along with fellow undergraduate students Stephanie Dueck and Hasan Mohammad are all contributing to this ground-breaking research.
Science student Stephanie Dueck prepares a DNA mixture following Dr. Piantanida’s suggestions.
Their experience goes far beyond theory; in the lab, they pipette precise mixtures of DNA strands, prepare purification gels and assist in imaging samples under advanced microscope systems. They watch as structures designed on a computer assemble themselves at the nanoscale, and then analyze the glowing patterns that confirm the data has been stored successfully.
“It’s very hands-on,” says Dueck, a second-year science student. “In lectures, we’re learning about the future of this research, but here in the lab, we’re actually a part of creating that future. I know I wouldn’t gain the same skills and experiences from lectures alone.”
While the technology is still in its early stages, its potential is enormous.
Undergraduate student Hasan Mohammad examines samples using a super-resolution microscope.
DNA is incredibly dense and remarkably durable, capable of preserving information for thousands, even millions, of years under the right conditions. Rather than replacing everyday hard drives, this approach could one day safeguard humanity’s most important records for the distant future.
For Mohammad, an electrical engineering undergrad, being part of that possibility is what makes the work meaningful.
“It’s exciting to know that something we’re building here could contribute to solving a global problem,” Mohammad says. “As an undergraduate, you don’t always expect to work on something this cutting-edge.”
Adds Dr. Piantanida, “The work happening here could shape how humanity stores its most important information. Here at UBC Okanagan, we’re laying the groundwork for what might be possible.”
