in our first experiment we started with a small
animated gif, 8x7 pixels in dimension, to find
out more about the feasibility and to learn
about the necessities of such operations.

>download detailed pdf-version

experimental

in the first step we converted the animated gif
'polycinease_testfilm_05.gif' with our
in-house software, the dnaspitter.py v 1.0b,
into a string of gatc. from the output we were
able to design the oligos using the online
version of the DNAWorks software.

http://molbio.info.nih.gov/dnaworks/

The oligos were annealed, the assembled
DNA sequence was amplified by PCR and
the resulting DNA fragment was cloned into
a bacterial vector, which contained the
ampilicin- resistance gene, the pUC origin
of replication and the RFP to enable visual
analysis. Followed by transformation of this
vector into E. coli using the electroporation
method, using an electric pulse to
permeabilize the bacterial cell membrane,
allowing the DNA to enter the cell. Thus, the
converted film sequence floated as part of
the circular DNA vector molecule inside
the E. coli cells.

Transformed bacteria were grown on LB agar
plates, containing ampicillin to maintain
selective pressure on bacteria that had taken
up the plasmid DNA. 12 hours of incubation
at 37*C allowed the bacterial cells to grow
for approximately 36 generations. Analysis
of single bacterial colonies by
UV-microscopy revealed that most colonies
had integrated our DNA vector resulting in
expression of the RFP as a visual marker
for successful transformation. One single
colony was inoculated in bacterial growth
medium an grown overnight at 37*C.

Plasmid DNA extracted from this overnight
culture was isolated by alkaline lysis and
ethanol precipitation. By enzymatic restriction
of the plasmid we could confirm the presence
of the initially assembled DNA sequence of
432 base pairs representing the animated gif.
Furthermore, DNA sequencing showed that the
isolated sequence was identical with the
sequence we transformed into the E. coli
earlier.

conclusion

For entirely artistic reasons we performed this
pilot experiment to show that short artificial
information can be converted into DNA
sequences. In the form of DNA the information
can be stored in bacterial cells that are unable
to recombine DNA. The lack of recombination
in the bacterial cells allowed the recovery of
the original information. (Organisms with the
potential to recombine DNA will introduce
changes in the DNA sequence, a mechanism
to maintain genome plasticity and thus
adaptation to changes of the environment.
Further experiments using recombination
positive bacteria would allow investigation of
such changes.)