Encoding and decoding information in synthetic DNA with cryptographic keys generated based on polymorphic features of nucleic acids

1. A method for encoding information, wherein the method comprises:

generating an encryption key according to polymorphic features of nucleic acids from one or more entities;

encrypting information based on the generated key; and

encoding the encrypted information into synthetic DNA, the encoding comprising:

translating digital information capturing the encrypted information into a sequence combining natural nucleotides of DNA, and

synthesizing the sequence into a synthetic material of physical DNA to form said synthetic DNA.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the encryption key is generated from the polymorphic features of DNA or RNA of the one or more entities.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein

the encryption key is generated from one of;

short tandem repeats of the DNA of the one or more entities;

short tandem repeats of the DNA of the one or more entities as alleles identified by sequencing five or more of predefined, genomic Loci of the one or more entities;

a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms of the DNA or RNA of the one or more entities;

mitochondrial DNA of the one or more entities; and

a Y-chromosome of the one or more entities.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein

the encryption key is generated from a set of single nucleotide polymorphisms of DNA or RNA of the one or more entities, and said set comprises at least five single nucleotide polymorphisms, and

generating the encryption key further comprises identifying said at least five single nucleotide polymorphisms by sequencing the nucleic acids of said one or more entities.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the method further comprises generating one or more helper datasets from the encryption key generated and said polymorphic features, and

encoding the encrypted information further comprises storing the one or more helper datasets generated on said synthetic DNA, along with said encrypted information.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

said information is encrypted based on a symmetric encryption algorithm, such that said encrypted information can be decrypted using a key identical to said encryption key.

7. The method according to claim 6 , wherein

the method further comprises, after having encrypted said information, deleting both the encryption key and material from which said encryption key was generated, without transmitting any of the encryption key and said material.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein generating the encryption key further includes:

measuring said polymorphic features of said nucleic acids; and

translating the measured polymorphic features into a cryptographic key.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein

the method further comprises, prior to generating said encryption key, generating a private key based on said polymorphic features of said nucleic acids of a given sample from said one or more entities, whereby said encryption key is generated based on the generated private key and paired to the generated private key, and

said information is encrypted based on an asymmetric encryption algorithm using the generated encryption key as a public key, such that said encrypted information can only be decrypted using a private key identical to the generated private key.

10. The method according to claim 9 , wherein the method further comprises, after having encrypted said information:

deleting both the private key generated and material from which said private key was generated, without transmitting any of the private key and said material; and

re-generating a private key based on polymorphic features of nucleic acids of another sample from said one or more entities, so as to be able to decrypt said encrypted information.

11. A method of retrieving information, the method comprising

providing synthetic DNA encoding encrypted information, wherein the synthetic DNA is a synthetic material of physical DNA that has been obtained by:

translating digital information capturing the encrypted information into a sequence combining natural nucleotides of DNA, and

synthesizing the sequence into the synthetic material of physical DNA to form said synthetic DNA; and

reading the encrypted information by sequencing the synthetic DNA provided and decrypting the information read using a decryption key generated according to polymorphic features of nucleic acids from one or more entities.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein reading the encrypted information further comprises:

sequencing said polymorphic features, so as to generate said decryption key, in order to decrypt the information read.

13. The method according to claim 11 , wherein

reading the encrypted information further comprises mixing sequences of the synthetic DNA provided with genomic sequences containing said polymorphic features whereby sequences of said polymorphic features and sequences of said synthetic DNA are simultaneously sequenced.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein the method further comprises, after mixing said sequences:

processing a mixture obtained by mixing the sequences of the synthetic DNA with sequences of said nucleic acids to generate a sequencing pool; and

sequencing the sequencing pool generated using a massively parallel DNA sequencing method.

15. The method according to claim 11 wherein

the synthetic DNA provided is sequenced based on a massively parallel DNA sequencing method.

16. The method according to claim 11 , wherein

the method further comprises generating the decryption key based on helper data, in addition to said polymorphic features, whereby said polymorphic features are combined with said helper data to compute the decryption key.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein

the method further comprises reading one or more helper datasets stored on said synthetic DNA, along with said encrypted information, to obtain said helper data.

18. A DNA vault, wherein

the DNA vault comprises one or more containers, each storing one or more samples of synthetic DNA encoding information, wherein

information is stored on each of the one or more samples in an encrypted form, which has been obtained according to an encryption key generated according to polymorphic features of nucleic acids from one or more entities, and

the synthetic DNA is a synthetic material of physical DNA and said information has been encoded into the synthetic DNA by:

translating digital information capturing the encrypted information into a sequence combining natural nucleotides of DNA, and

synthesizing the sequence into the synthetic material of physical DNA to form said synthetic DNA.

19. The DNA vault according to claim 18 , wherein

one or more helper datasets are further stored on each of the one or more samples of synthetic DNA, along with said encrypted information.

20. The DNA vault according to claim 18 , wherein:

the DNA vault is a family vault, whereby at least one of the DNA samples stored encodes information encrypted with a respective encryption key generated according to inherited polymorphic features of nucleic acids from said one or more entities.