Microsoft Corporation
EFFICIENT RANDOM ACCESS TO DNA-ENCODED DATA

Abstract:

This disclosure provides techniques and systems for efficient random access to digital data encoded in oligonucleotides (e.g., DNA). Random access to DNA-encoded data is provided by amplification using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and primer pairs that selectively amplify only the oligonucleotides encoding a desired set of digital data. Multiple separate random-access requests are prepared for multiplex DNA sequencing by generating copy-normalized amplification products. Copy-normalized amplification products are efficiently created by performing multiple singleplex PCR reactions in parallel and measuring the quantity of oligonucleotides in each reaction. The PCR reactions are performed in parallel through the use of multiple isolated reaction volumes such as water-in-oil microdroplets or individual wells on a plate. Copy normalization may be achieved by performing additional rounds of thermocycling on individual reaction volumes with low quantities of oligonucleotides or by batching samples with similar quantities of oligonucleotides together for multiplex DNA sequencing.