DNA-based molecular tagging system could take the place of printed barcodes

Porcupine is a new molecular tagging system introduced by University of Washington and Microsoft researchers.

These tags can be programmed and read within seconds using a portable nanopore device.

In a new paper published Nov. 3 in Nature Communications, the team describes how dehydrated strands of synthetic DNA can take the place of bulky plastic or printed barcodes.

"Molecular tagging is not a new idea, but existing methods are still complicated and require access to a lab, which rules out many real-world scenarios," said lead author Kathryn Doroschak, a UW doctoral student in the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering.