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.
Highlights
Biomolecular cryptography exploiting specific biomolecular interactions for data encryption represents a unique approach for information security
We utilize the technique for “DNA origami cryptography” (DOC), which implements braille-like nano-patterns for robust secure communication largely meeting the CIA criteria by providing protection on confidentiality, integrity and access control
The whole process is composed of three layers—encryption of the message into a dot pattern as the outer layer, followed by a steganographic intermediate layer, and DNA origami encryption (DOE) as the innermost layer, represented by three nested channels colored in gray, green and pale green, respectively
Summary
Biomolecular cryptography exploiting specific biomolecular interactions for data encryption represents a unique approach for information security. Constructing protocols based on biomolecular reactions to guarantee confidentiality, integrity and availability (CIA) of information remains a challenge. 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. In 1999, Clelland et al developed a DNA-based steganography scheme to hide secret messages[19], opening a new era of DNA cryptography that involved information-rich biomolecules for the creation of data encryption keys to ensure message confidentiality[20,21,22,23]. We utilize the technique for “DNA origami cryptography” (DOC), which implements braille-like nano-patterns for robust secure communication largely meeting the CIA criteria by providing protection on confidentiality, integrity and access control. We demonstrate that by reengineering the spot patterns this method is versatile in transmitting messages of different lengths and in various formats, including but not limited to text, musical notes and images
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