Project Grant 2614937

Federal Project Grant Award Summary

Arizona State University, through its Office of Research and Sponsored Projects Administration, received a $750K Project Grant from the National Science Foundation's Division of Information and Intelligent Systems under the Computer and Information Science and Engineering program (CFDA 47.070), awarded October 1, 2026, with completion targeted for September 30, 2030. The project, titled "Toward Rewritable and Distributed In Vivo DNA Data Storage Networks," develops an Active In Vivo Storage (AIS) framework that transforms living cells into rewritable, self-maintaining memory systems by engineering cellular genomes to record, erase, and update information directly within their genetic code. This research addresses critical global data storage challenges by establishing DNA-based alternatives to traditional silicon computing while advancing post-silicon biotechnology applications in environmental monitoring and personalized medicine.

The research deliverables encompass three integrated technical layers: development of prime-editing-based rewritable genomic registers at the physical layer with quantified performance metrics for write endurance and bit error rates; establishment of closed-loop, distributed biological memory architectures replacing external DNA synthesis with programmable in situ state transitions; and integration of educational outreach components including virtual reality modules for K-12 students and undergraduate research training. By establishing foundational technologies for dynamic computational registers within living genomes rather than static archival systems, the project supports American leadership in biotechnology and information science while preparing the next generation of researchers to address the ethical and technical dimensions of emerging bio-computing technologies.