Maynooth University has been awarded €4m in EU funding for the development of a DNA-based computing and information storage system.
The team is led by computer scientist Professor Damien Woods and the funding was awarded under the European Innovation Council Pathfinder Challenge programme.
Researchers will investigate how computers of the future could run on DNA.
The new EU grant will build on the work already achieved by the team to enable DNA to store data, then read, write, and carry out computations.
A molecular "library" that is being developed will include DNA-based algorithms, that can be triggered to modify data stored in DNA, so that the nanoscale DNA-based computers will have both a memory bank as well as the ability to carry out future computations.
The usage of artificially-synthesised DNA to store large amounts of data could reduce the current high energy demands of digital storage across the world.
"Each of the cells in your body has more than a gigabyte worth of DNA in it," Professor Woods said.
"By taking inspiration from biology, and storing data in DNA we might use less space and energy than currently needed to store digital data, freeing up valuable resources," he said.
"This nanoscale storage capacity could one day be used for chemical computers that retain and interact with large amounts of data in microscopic amounts of space," he added.
Traditionally, DNA forms a winding double helix consisting of two long DNA strands bound together.
However, the team at Maynooth University will design short DNA strands that interact with a single long DNA strand to encode both data and programmes in DNA.
Two SME partners are collaborating on the project - Major Groove by prgm.net, is providing scientific input and lab automation software led by former Maynooth PhD student Dr Tristan Stérin, and tilibit who will synthesise long DNA strands.
