[论文解读] A system capable of verifiably and privately screening global DNA synthesis

Carsten Baum, Jens Berlips+29 more|arXiv (Cornell University)|Mar 20, 2024

DNA and Biological Computing被引用 7

一句话总结

本文提出 SecureDNA，一种隐私保护系统，能够对所有 DNA 合成订单进行可验证的筛查，以与当前的受控序列数据库对照，可扩展到跨主要区域的 67 million nucleotides。

ABSTRACT

Printing custom DNA sequences is essential to scientific and biomedical research, but the technology can be used to manufacture plagues as well as cures. Just as ink printers recognize and reject attempts to counterfeit money, DNA synthesizers and assemblers should deny unauthorized requests to make viral DNA that could be misused. There are three complications. First, we don't need to quickly update printers to deal with newly discovered currencies, whereas we regularly learn of new potential pandemic viruses and other biological threats. Second, convincing counterfeit bills can't be printed in small pieces and taped together, while preventing the distributed synthesis and subsequent re-assembly of controlled sequences will require tracking which DNA fragments have been ordered across all providers and benchtop devices while protecting legitimate customer privacy. Finally, counterfeiting can at worst undermine faith in currency, whereas unauthorized DNA synthesis could be used to deliberately cause pandemics. Here we describe SecureDNA, a free, privacy-preserving, and fully automated system capable of verifiably screening all DNA synthesis orders of 30+ nucleotides against an up-to-date database of controlled sequences, and its operational performance and specificity when applied to 67 million nucleotides of DNA synthesized by providers in the United States, Europe, and China.

研究动机与目标

• 通过阻止未经授权的有害序列生产来推动安全的DNA合成，同时保护合法客户的隐私。
• 对30+核苷酸的订单进行筛查，且数据库为最新的受控序列数据库。
• 确保筛查决策的可验证性，以及在全球合成提供商中的可扩展性。

提出的方法

• 描述 SecureDNA 的隐私保护筛查工作流，对照最新的受控序列数据库。
• 提供自动化、可验证的检查，在保护用户隐私的同时拒绝未经授权的请求。
• 在来自美国、欧洲和中国的提供者的总计 67 million nucleotides 的数据集上展示性能和特异性。

实验结果

研究问题

• RQ1 一个隐私保护系统是否能在全球范围内对DNA合成订单进行可验证的筛查，对照受控序列数据库？
• RQ2 在大规模、真实世界的合成数据上，该系统在特异性和运行吞吐量方面的表现如何？
• RQ3 在全球DNA合成筛查流程中，对于合法客户可以实现哪些隐私保障？

主要发现

• SecureDNA 是一个免费、隐私保护且全自动的DNA合成订单筛查系统。
• 该系统对30+核苷酸的订单进行筛查，对照最新的受控序列数据库。
• 运行测试覆盖由美国、欧洲和中国的提供者合成的67 million核苷酸的DNA。
• 论文报告了 SecureDNA 的运行性能和特异性。