Adaptive Sampling in Nanopore Sequencing

This 3D animation was produced for Imperial College London to communicate a new method for selectively retrieving digital data stored in DNA. Click here to watch the full video.

DNA data storage systems typically rely on PCR to access individual files, but this approach permanently removes DNA from the archive and can distort relative sequence abundance. This project visualises an alternative based on adaptive sampling in nanopore sequencing, where file selection happens during sequencing rather than through amplification.

The animation illustrates how DNA strands are analysed in real time as they pass through a nanopore, with software deciding whether to continue reading a strand or eject it based on its sequence. Only the DNA corresponding to the requested file is sequenced, while all other strands remain intact and available for future use.

By enabling software-driven, non-destructive access to stored data, adaptive sampling offers a scalable and flexible solution for DNA-based archival storage. The film concludes with a QR code linking directly to the underlying research paper, allowing viewers to explore the full methodology in detail. You can read the full paper here:tinyurl.com/adaptivera

The project was created in Cinema 4D, rendered using Octane Render, with voiceover produced by Science & Animation. Voiceover artist – Alex Forrest Whiting.