Scientists are finding ways to merge biology with electronics, unlocking new possibilities for data storage and computing.
DNA carries the genetic instructions for all living things, but it is also an extraordinarily dense way to store information. Just one gram can hold roughly 215 million gigabytes of data.
If that level of storage could be harnessed in electronics, it could lead to far more efficient data centers, faster processing, and the ability to handle much more complex information. The challenge has been making a biological molecule like DNA work within electronic systems. Researchers at Penn State say they have now found a way to connect the two.
The team’s approach, reported in Advanced Functional Materials with a patent application underway, relies on two main components. One is synthetic DNA, made from chemically engineered short sequences designed for specific electronic functions. The other is crystalline perovskite, a semiconductor widely used in solar cells, lasers, and data storage devices.
“Biology and electronics are different domains,” said Kavya S. Keremane, co-corresponding author and postdoctoral researcher in materials science and engineering at Penn State. “Bridging these two fields required developing an entirely new materials platform that allows them to function seamlessly together. By combining the information storage capabilities of DNA with the exceptional electronic properties of perovskite semiconductors, we created a bio-hybrid system that fundamentally changes how low-power memory devices can be designed.”
Memristors and Brain-Like Computing
The researchers built a device known as a memristor, a type of memory resistor that operates with very little energy. Traditional resistors control the flow of electricity but lose stored information when power is turned off. Memristors behave differently. They can retain information and “remember” the direction of previous current even after power is removed.
Because they can store and process information in the same place, memristors resemble how neurons work in the brain. This makes them promising for advanced computing systems. However, making them practical has been difficult because of limits in storage capacity and power efficiency. DNA helps solve both problems by packing large amounts of data into a very small space while using minimal energy.
“As the demand for artificial intelligence (AI) grows, we need a new strategy for low-power, high-storage devices,” said Bed Poudel, co-corresponding author and research professor of materials science and engineering at Penn State. Poudel explained that AI and future technologies will rely more and more on neuromorphic computing that, similar to the human brain, can consider multiple inputs at the same time and make decisions based on past experiences and future priorities. “Usually, it takes more power to store more information. Our device, however, consumes 100 times less power, and the storage capacity is higher than traditional storage devices, like flash drives.”
Engineering DNA for Electronics
To create the device, the team added silver nanoparticles to specially designed DNA sequences and combined them with thin layers of perovskite. This technique, called doping, is used to adjust a material’s properties. In this case, it allowed the DNA to conduct electricity and align in a more organized structure.
Natural DNA forms long, tangled strands, which makes it difficult to use in precise structures. In contrast, short synthetic DNA fragments are rigid and easier to control at the nanoscale. This allows researchers to build highly ordered materials with adjustable electrical properties that natural DNA cannot provide in thin films.
“We can computationally determine exactly which sequences we need and how long they should be, and then we can rationally design them with synthetic DNA,” Yennawar said. “These structures can be systematically doped with silver and other ions and engineered to interface seamlessly with perovskites — transforming DNA from a biological macromolecule into a programmable, multifunctional nanomaterials platform.”
Performance and Stability Breakthroughs
The combination of silver-treated DNA and perovskite forms channels that guide electrical current efficiently. When the researchers applied less than 0.1 volt (compared to 120 volts in a standard U.S. outlet), electrons moved reliably through the device. It also responded consistently when the current direction changed.
The device remained stable at temperatures approaching 250 degrees Fahrenheit (about 121 degrees Celsius) and continued to function at room temperature for more than six weeks. According to the researchers, this performance exceeds that of current perovskite-based memory devices. It also delivers similar memory capabilities while using only one-tenth of the power, making it a strong candidate for future energy-efficient electronics.
“Using just the DNA or just perovskite alone did not produce near as robust a result as the combination,” Keremane said. “It’s this combination that enables a very high memory storage density that requires very little power.”
The team plans to continue refining the technology and explore other ways biology can inspire new types of electronics.
“Nature has the solution — we just have to find it and apply it,” Poudel said. “This work of integrating DNA into electronics to do amazing things gives a glimpse into what is possible.”
Reference: “Molecularly Engineered Highly Stable Memristors with Ultra-Low Operational Voltage: Integrating Synthetic DNA with Quasi-2D Perovskites” by Kavya S. Keremane, Abhinav Gorthy, Luyao Zheng, Chiranth C Ravi, Haodong Wu, Jiamao Zheng, Neela H. Yennawar, Shashank Priya, Rashmi Jha and Bed Poudel, 19 January 2026, Advanced Functional Materials.
DOI: 10.1002/adfm.202530539
The U.S. National Science Foundation, the National Institutes of Health, Penn State and the University of Minnesota supported this research.
Never miss a breakthrough: Join the SciTechDaily newsletter.
Follow us on Google and Google News.