PhD Studentship in Computer Science: Programming Matter - Dynamic DNA Data Structures for Molecular Information Storage and Computing

Award summary

100% home fees covered, and a minimum tax-free annual living allowance of £21,805 (2026-27 UKRI rates).

Overview

DNA has emerged as one of the most promising media for ultra-dense information storage. However, most DNA storage systems remain passive: data are written, archived, and read. This PhD project will help pioneer a new generation of dynamic DNA data storage systems capable not only of storing information, but also of manipulating, organising, and retrieving it through molecular data structures analogous to those used in computer science.

Building on our pioneering experimental demonstration of a DNA-based stack data structure and recent advances in optimisation for DNA nanotechnology, the project will design, model, implement, and experimentally validate novel molecular data structures that extend beyond current capabilities. Potential targets include queues, deques, priority structures, linked structures, and new DNA-native information architectures capable of operating in vitro or in living cells with tailor-made error-correcting codes.

The successful candidate will combine computational design with laboratory work, developing DNA/RNA systems, molecular circuits, and experimental assays to build and characterise these DNA devices. The project will also explore optimisation methods to improve reliability, scalability, and performance in complex nucleic-acid-based systems.

The student will join the internationally recognised EnDROIDS programme and become part of a highly interdisciplinary team of computer scientists, molecular biologists, DNA nanotechnologists, and social scientists working at the frontier of molecular computing and information storage.