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%.

A series of Dy³⁺ ion single-doped and Dy³⁺/Eu³⁺ ion co-doped white-light emitting SrY₂O₄ nanocrystalline phosphors were synthesized by a citrate sol–gel method. After the samples were annealed at 1300 °C, the X-ray diffraction patterns confirmed their orthorhombic structure. The particles were closely-packed and their optical properties were monitored by photoluminescence spectroscopy. The Dy³⁺ ions acted as luminescent centers and substituted Y³⁺ ions in the SrY₂O₄ host lattice, where they are located in C_s sites, and the characteristic emission of Dy³⁺ ions (⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_15/2 and ⁴F_9/2 → ⁶H_13/2 transitions) with intense yellow emission band at 578 nm occurred. When the Eu³⁺ ions were co-doped into the SrY₂O₄:Dy³⁺ (1 mol%) nanocrystalline phosphor, white-light emission was observed under excitation at 381 nm. The energy transfer between Eu³⁺ and Dy³⁺ ions was calculated and the chromaticity coordinates were also presented. The cathodoluminescence (CL) spectra confirmed that the penetration depth is inversely proportional to the total atomic weight and atomic number of the compound. From CL analysis, the emission intensities of Dy³⁺ ion single-doped and Dy³⁺/Eu³⁺ co-doped SrY₂O₄ nanocrystalline phosphors increased continuously upon increasing both the accelerating voltage from 1 to 5 kV and the filament current from 30 to 47 μA.