DNA Data Storage Alliance Welcomes 50th Member

– Alliance now comprised of diverse groups with 11 public companies, 14 private companies, 2 consultancies, 2 venture capital firms, 17 universities, 5 research non-profits and 1 foundation –

The DNA Data Storage Alliance, an organization formed in 2020 by Illumina, Inc. (NASDAQ: ILMN), Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT), Twist Bioscience Corporation (NASDAQ: TWST) and Western Digital (NASDAQ: WDC) to create and promote an interoperable storage ecosystem based on DNA as a data storage medium, today announced that the organization has expanded to more than 50 members with the recent addition of FUJIFILM Recording Media U.S.A., Inc. The Fujifilm Group of companies leverages its depth of knowledge and core technologies for fields including both bioscience and data storage, among others. The rapid expansion and interest from a range of organizations demonstrates the growing interest in DNA Data Storage. The Alliance now includes 11 public companies, 14 private companies, 2 consultancies, 2 venture capital firms, 17 universities, 5 research non-profits and 1 foundation. Since its founding, the Alliance has grown an online presence, published the whitepaper: An Introduction to DNA Data Storage, organized the first DNA Data Storage track at the SNIA Storage Developer Conference and participated in a number of industry events.

“We are thrilled to witness growing interest in the DNA Data Storage market as evidenced by the number of companies that have joined the DNA Data Storage Alliance,” said Steffen Hellmold, Senior Vice President, Business Development, DNA Data Storage at Twist Bioscience. “The diversity of the member companies of the Alliance representing every aspect of the DNA Data Storage ecosystem is foundational to facilitate a robust and ideal growth trajectory.”

"The rapid growth in interest around DNA data storage is incredibly exciting," said Craig Ciesla, PhD, Head of Advanced Platforms and Devices at Illumina. "By continuing to improve the speed and performance of sequencing technology as well as drive down the cost, Illumina aims to help broaden access to DNA as a data storage platform. We are pleased to be part of the ever-expanding alliance membership to help shape the future of data storage."

“It’s incredible how much progress we've made in the field of DNA Data Storage,” said Karin Strauss, Sr. Principal Research Manager, Microsoft. “When Microsoft began DNA Data Storage research in collaboration with the University of Washington back in 2015, we knew the technology was promising and now we’re seeing even more advances emerge into the field of molecular storage. The growth of the DNA Data Storage Alliance to 50 members is another sign of the exciting developments still to come."

“Whether it’s safeguarding historical records or enabling tomorrow’s next big ideas, data binds us together in the digital economy, and it’s important that we continue to innovate and find new ways for people to store and protect it,” said Dan Steere, Senior Vice President, Corporate Business Development at Western Digital. “DNA Data Storage is one of those exciting opportunities and we look forward to working with our new alliance members to develop the technology and the ecosystem.”

About the DNA Data Storage Alliance

The DNA Data Storage Alliance was formed in October 2020 by Illumina, Microsoft, Twist Bioscience and Western Digital. Our mission is to create and promote an interoperable storage ecosystem based on manufactured DNA as a data storage medium. Our initial aim is to educate the public and raise awareness about this emerging technology. In addition, as the methods and tools for commercially viable DNA data storage become better understood and more widely available, the Alliance will consider the creation of specifications and standards (e.g., encoding, physical interfaces, retention, file systems) to promote the emergence of interoperable DNA data storage-based solutions that complement existing storage hierarchies. The Alliance neither certifies nor endorses specific products or applications. Follow the Alliance on Twitter and LinkedIn.

The members of the Alliance to date include:

• 21e8
• Ansa Biotechnologies
• AOE I, LLC
• Battelle
• Bioecho Life Sciences
• Biomemory
• Boise State University
• Cache DNA
• CATALOG
• Center for Applied NanoBioscience & Medicine at the University of Arizona
• Centrillion Technologies
• Cinémathèque suisse
• Claude Nobs Foundation (Montreux Jazz Digital Project)
• Dell Technologies
• Digital Preservation Coalition
• DNAli Data Technologies
• DNA Script
• Eindhoven University of Technology
• EPFL (École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) – Cultural Heritage & Innovation Center (Montreux Jazz Digital Project)
• ETH Zurich - The Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Switzerland
• EureKARE
• Fitzpatrick Institute for Photonics at Duke University
• FUJIFILM Recording Media U.S.A., Inc.
• George Church Lab at Harvard University
• Gupta Lab at Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology (DA-IICT)
• Hyperion Research
• I3S laboratory - Université Côte d'Azur and French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS)
• Illumina, Inc.
• Imagene
• imec
• Iridia
• Kioxia
• Lab for Intelligent Storage and Computing at Oklahoma State University
• Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Microsoft
• MilliporeSigma
• Molecular Assemblies
• Molecular Information Systems Lab at the University of Washington
• OligoArchive at Imperial College
• PFU America, Inc., a Fujitsu company
• Reichman University and Technion, Yakhini Group
• Quantitative Scientific Solutions (QS-2)
• Quantum
• Seagate Technology
• Spectra Logic
• Semiconductor Research Corporation (SRC)
• Stanford Compression Forum
• Technical University of Munich (TUM)
• Technion - Israel Institute of Technology
• Twist Bioscience
• University of Marburg
• Western Digital Corporation

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