The origins of my research project start in my 10th grade AP Biology class. My teacher was lecturing on DNA and its biological function for storing cellular information, which she described as analogous to computer storage. It was an interesting analogy that I expanded on with genes being “files” stored in the genome “hard drive.” I eventually began to wonder if it was feasible to use DNA directly for computer storage, as after all it must possess incredibly high storage density to be viable for its biological purpose. Around this time, I was taking a summer program about satellite design where I learned about the challenges of data storage in space due to its high levels of radiation. With these two insights in mind and wanting to start a new research project, I decided to develop a storage system for deep space and enterprise applications based on DNA.

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