Fig. 1: The native DNA-based data storage platform.

In the Write component, arbitrary user content is converted into a binary message. The message is then parsed into blocks of m bits, where m corresponds to the number of nicking positions on the register (for the running example, m = 10). Different (orthogonal) registers may be used to encode information in parallel, as indicated by the different colors of the DNA strings. Subsequently, binary information is translated into positional information indicating where to nick. Nicking reactions are performed in parallel via combinations of PfAgo and guides. In the Read component, nicked products are purified and denatured to obtain a pool of ssDNAs of different lengths. The pool of ssDNAs is sequenced via MiSeq either as part of an orthogonal register mixture or individually. The output reads are processed by first performing reference-based alignment of the reads, and then using read coverages to determine the nicked positions.