Lecture series "Science for everyone": Biocomputing

DNA can be used to encode, store, transmit and process information. DNA is interesting for information processing because information can be stored efficiently and for a long time in a very small space. It is therefore a potential alternative for tasks that are currently performed by traditional information processing systems.

Professor Reinhard Heckel is working on methods with which digital information can be stored securely and efficiently on DNA sequences. The challenge here is to translate binary data - the language of computers, consisting of zeros and ones - into the language of DNA. Heckel and Grass have already demonstrated how this technology could be applied by encoding an episode of the Netflix series "Biohackers" on synthetic DNA. This type of storage offers the potential to preserve data for hundreds of years without loss of quality, something that conventional storage media such as hard disks or USB sticks cannot do.

DNA can also be used for cryptography, the generation of random numbers and other information processing tasks.

The use of DNA for information processing is currently still in the basic research phase and is associated with high costs and technical challenges. However, researchers are optimistic that economies of scale will significantly reduce costs. In this event, Professor Heckel will provide an overview of the current state of research and an outlook on future potential uses.

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