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Cited by 163DNA and Biological ComputingAdvanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniquesCryptography and Data Security

The DOI matches its Crossref record; 43 of the 43 references it cites were found in a registry or an index.

DNA origami cryptography for secure communication

Open access
Zhang, Yinan, Wang, Fei, Chao, Jie, Xie, Mo, Liu, Huajie, Pan, Muchen, Kopperger, Enzo, Liu, Xiaoguo, Li, Qian, Shi, Jiye, Wang, Lihua, Hu, Jun, Wang, Lianhui, Simmel, Friedrich C., Fan, Chunhai·2019·Nature Communications
DOI 10.1038/s41467-019-13517-3PMC PMC6884444
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Abstract

Biomolecular cryptography exploiting specific biomolecular interactions for data encryption represents a unique approach for information security. However, constructing protocols based on biomolecular reactions to guarantee confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) of information remains a challenge. Here we develop DNA origami cryptography (DOC) that exploits folding of a M13 viral scaffold into nanometer-scale self-assembled braille-like patterns for secure communication, which can create a key with a size of over 700 bits. The intrinsic nanoscale addressability of DNA origami additionally allows for protein binding-based steganography, which further protects message confidentiality in DOC. The integrity of a transmitted message can be ensured by establishing specific linkages between several DNA origamis carrying parts of the message. The versatility of DOC is further demonstrated by transmitting various data formats including text, musical notes and images, supporting its great potential for meeting the rapidly increasing CIA demands of next-generation cryptography.

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Crossref · 10.1038/s41467-019-13517-3

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Fig. 1 Security protocol of DOC for message confidentiality. a The whole process is composed of three layers—encryption of the message into a spot pattern as the outer layer, followed by a steganographic intermediate layer, and finally DNA origami encryption (DOE) as the innermost layer, represented by three nested channels colored in gray, green and pale green, respectively. b Encryption of the message by Alice. Alice holds the DNA scaffold and can generate the M-strands. At first, Alice encoded the plaintext message “HEY” letter by letter into binary numbers, and then encrypted the numbers for each letter (in navy) and their respective positions in the message (in teal) into a braille-like spot pattern. Afterward, Alice encrypted the patterns into a combination of scaffold strands carrying several M-strands, according to a defined DNA origami folding scheme. c Decryption of the message by Bob. Bob holds streptavidin and can generate the staples. With the staples Bob was able to fold the DNA origami, revealing biotinylated patterns on the M-strands. Subsequently, Bob added streptavidin to make the patterns recognizable under the AFM. Finally, the plaintext message was decrypted letter by letter into binary numbers and decoded. d The fluorescent pattern under the STORM. Scale bar: 50 nm. e Braille-like streptavidin patterns under the AFM. Scale bar: 50 nm.
Fig. 1 Security protocol of DOC for message confidentiality. a The whole process is composed of three layers—encryption of the message into a spot pattern as the outer layer, followed by a steganographic intermediate layer, and finally DNA origami encryption (DOE) as the innermost layer, represented by three nested channels colored in gray, green and pale green, respectively. b Encryption of the message by Alice. Alice holds the DNA scaffold and can generate the M-strands. At first, Alice encoded the plaintext message “HEY” letter by letter into binary numbers, and then encrypted the numbers for each letter (in navy) and their respective positions in the message (in teal) into a braille-like spot pattern. Afterward, Alice encrypted the patterns into a combination of scaffold strands carrying several M-strands, according to a defined DNA origami folding scheme. c Decryption of the message by Bob. Bob holds streptavidin and can generate the staples. With the staples Bob was able to fold the DNA origami, revealing biotinylated patterns on the M-strands. Subsequently, Bob added streptavidin to make the patterns recognizable under the AFM. Finally, the plaintext message was decrypted letter by letter into binary numbers and decoded. d The fluorescent pattern under the STORM. Scale bar: 50 nm. e Braille-like streptavidin patterns under the AFM. Scale bar: 50 nm.CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig. 2 An eight-letter text communication. a Spot patterns for encryption of the text. Generation of key space in the pattern encryption (b) and DNA origami encryption (c). d AFM images of streptavidin patterns conveying the encrypted message. Major streptavidin patterns with each position number were circled in different colors. Scale bar: 200 nm (inset: 50 nm).
Fig. 2 An eight-letter text communication. a Spot patterns for encryption of the text. Generation of key space in the pattern encryption (b) and DNA origami encryption (c). d AFM images of streptavidin patterns conveying the encrypted message. Major streptavidin patterns with each position number were circled in different colors. Scale bar: 200 nm (inset: 50 nm).CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig. 3 Maintaining the integrity of message and achieving differentiated access. a Presentation of the message with a spot pattern. Hash value and password protection were introduced. b The England and France maps depicted on E- and F-tiles are fabricated with DNA dumbbell-shaped bulge loops on selected staples, respectively. c Transmitting process of the message. Hash value is used to verify the integrity of message. Bob has access to the genuine message while Mallory is led to the bait one. Scale bar: 50 nm.
Fig. 3 Maintaining the integrity of message and achieving differentiated access. a Presentation of the message with a spot pattern. Hash value and password protection were introduced. b The England and France maps depicted on E- and F-tiles are fabricated with DNA dumbbell-shaped bulge loops on selected staples, respectively. c Transmitting process of the message. Hash value is used to verify the integrity of message. Bob has access to the genuine message while Mallory is led to the bait one. Scale bar: 50 nm.CC BY · PubMed Central
Fig. 4 Transmitting music and image with DOC. a The custom keypad indexing the music to binary numbers. b From spot pattern to music. c AFM images of streptavidin patterns conveying the music. (d) A 256-pixel panda image. The pixel boxed in orange is presented by a spot pattern (an analogic map of China). (e) 256 streptavidin patterns conveying the panda. Scale bar: 50 nm.
Fig. 4 Transmitting music and image with DOC. a The custom keypad indexing the music to binary numbers. b From spot pattern to music. c AFM images of streptavidin patterns conveying the music. (d) A 256-pixel panda image. The pixel boxed in orange is presented by a spot pattern (an analogic map of China). (e) 256 streptavidin patterns conveying the panda. Scale bar: 50 nm.CC BY · PubMed Central

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Authors
Zhang, Y., Wang, F., Chao, J., Xie, M., Liu, H., Pan, M., Kopperger, E., Liu, X., Li, Q., Shi, J., Wang, L., Hu, J., Wang, L., Simmel, F. C., & Fan, C.
Affiliations
  • Shanghai Jiao Tong University (CN)
  • Nanjing University of Posts and Telecommunications (CN)
  • Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
  • Tongji University (CN)
  • Technical University of Munich (DE)
Corresponding author
  • Liu, Huajie
  • Fan, Chunhai
ORCID
Venue
Nature Communications
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2019-11-29
Volume
10
Issue
1
Pages
5469-5469
ISSN
2041-1723 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41467-019-13517-3
PMC
PMC6884444
OpenAlex
W2989620465
Cited by
163
References
43
Citations by year
2026: 24 · 2025: 31 · 2024: 21 · 2023: 31 · 2022: 29 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 8
FWCI
4.63
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Nature Communications (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion)
  • mediaTUM – the media and publications repository of the Technical University Munich (Technical University Munich) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
Funders
National Natural Science Foundation of China (21675167, 21603262)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Mathematics › Theoretical Computer Science › DNA and Biological Computing
  • Life Sciences › Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology › Molecular Biology › Advanced biosensing and bioanalysis techniques
  • Physical Sciences › Computer Science › Computer Networks and Communications › Cryptography and Data Security
Keywords
DNA origami, secure communication, self-assembled nanostructures, message integrity, confidentiality, message transmission, DNA nanotechnology
MeSH terms
Communication, Confidentiality, DNA, Humans, Computer Security, Bacteriophage M13, Computers, Molecular

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