DNA-based data storage has emerged as a promising method to satisfy the exponentially increasing demand for information storage. However, practical implementation of DNA-based data storage remains a challenge because of the high cost of data writing through DNA synthesis. Here, we propose the use of degenerate bases as encoding characters in addition to A, C, G, and T, which augments the amount of data that can be stored per length of DNA sequence designed (information capacity) and lowering the amount of DNA synthesis per storing unit data. Using the proposed method, we experimentally achieved an information capacity of 3.37 bits/character. The demonstrated information capacity is more than twice when compared to the highest information capacity previously achieved. The proposed method can be integrated with synthetic technologies in the future to reduce the cost of DNA-based data storage by 50%.

DNA nanostructure-based mechanical systems that control the distance between elements of interest have demonstrated great potential for various applications, including nanoplasmonic systems, molecular reactors, and other nanotechnology platforms. However, previously reported systems could not collectively manipulate a 2D or 3D nanoscale network of elements to various forms in multiple stages. A reconfigurable DNA accordion rack structure is introduced that is a DNA beam lattice that changes its conformation with a small amount of short-length DNA locks as the controlling input. The lattice shape of the 2D DNA accordion rack and the diameter and the height of the 3D DNA nanotubular structure made of the DNA accordion rack could be controlled. Furthermore, by sequentially repeating the detachment and the attachment of the different DNA locks using strand displacement, the shape reconfiguration was repeatedly carried out.

DNA‐based data storage has attracted attention because of its higher physical density of the data and longer retention time than those of conventional digital data storage. However, previous DNA‐based data storage lacked index features and the data quality of storage after a single access was not preserved, obstructing its industrial use. Here, DNA micro‐disks, QR‐coded micro‐sized disks that harbor data‐encoded DNA molecules for the efficient management of DNA‐based data storage, are proposed. The two major features that previous DNA‐based data‐storage studies could not achieve are demonstrated. One feature is accessing data items efficiently by indexing the data‐encoded DNA library. Another is achieving write‐once–read‐many (WORM) memory through the immobilization of DNA molecules on the disk and their enrichment through in situ DNA production. Through these features, the reliability of DNA‐based data storage is increased by allowing selective and multiple accession of data‐encoded DNA with lower data loss than previous DNA‐based data storage methods.

Pen drawing is a method that allows simple, inexpensive, and intuitive two-dimensional (2D) fabrication. To integrate such advantages of pen drawing in fabricating 3D objects, we developed a 3D fabrication technology that can directly transform pen-drawn 2D precursors into 3D geometries. 2D-to-3D transformation of pen drawings is facilitated by surface tension–driven capillary peeling and floating of dried ink film when the drawing is dipped into an aqueous monomer solution. Selective control of the floating and anchoring parts of a 2D precursor allowed the 2D drawing to transform into the designed 3D structure. The transformed 3D geometry can then be fixed by structural reinforcement using surface-initiated polymerization. By transforming simple pen-drawn 2D structures into complex 3D structures, our approach enables freestyle rapid prototyping via pen drawing, as well as mass production of 3D objects via roll-to-roll processing.

We introduce highly programmable microscale swimmers driven by the Marangoni effect (Marangoni microswimmers) that can self-propel on the surface of water. Previous studies on Marangoni swimmers have shown the advantage of self-propulsion without external energy source or mechanical systems, by taking advantage of direct conversion from power source materials to mechanical energy. However, current developments on Marangoni microswimmers have limitations in their fabrication, thereby hindering their programmability and precise mass production. By introducing a photopatterning method, we generated Marangoni microswimmers with multiple functional parts with distinct material properties in high throughput. Furthermore, various motions such as time-dependent direction change and disassembly of swimmers without external stimuli are programmed into the Marangoni microswimmers.

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Epitranscriptomic features, such as single-base RNA editing, are sources of transcript diversity in cancer, but little is understood in terms of their spatial context in the tumour microenvironment. Here, we introduce spatial-histopathological examination-linked epitranscriptomics converged to transcriptomics with sequencing (Select-seq), which isolates regions of interest from immunofluorescence-stained tissue and obtains transcriptomic and epitranscriptomic data. With Select-seq, we analyse the cancer stem cell-like microniches in relation to the tumour microenvironment of triple-negative breast cancer patients. We identify alternative splice variants, perform complementarity-determining region analysis of infiltrating T cells and B cells, and assess adenosine-to-inosine base editing in tumour tissue sections. Especially, in triple-negative breast cancer microniches, adenosine-to-inosine editome specific to different microniche groups is identified.

On-chip in situ molecular profiling for gene expression analysis and oncogenic mutation detection in single circulating tumour cells is presented.