Data storage and retrieval with unnatural proteins expressed via E. coli

The spectral data generated in this study for LC-MS/MS analysis of the data-bearing proteins have been deposited in the MassIVE database under accession code MSV000098849 [https://massive.ucsd.edu/ProteoSAFe/dataset.jsp?task=7f1745678fc846728d68438e2f742071]. Source data are provided with this paper.

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Author notes

1. These authors contributed equally: Yin Zhou, Cheuk Chi A. Ng.

Authors and Affiliations

1. Department of Applied Biology and Chemical Technology, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

   Yin Zhou, Cheuk Chi A. Ng, Chengxi Liu & Zhong-Ping Yao

2. Research Institute for Future Food, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

   Yin Zhou, Cheuk Chi A. Ng, Chengxi Liu & Zhong-Ping Yao

3. Research Centre for Chinese Medicine Innovation, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University; Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

   Yin Zhou, Cheuk Chi A. Ng, Chengxi Liu & Zhong-Ping Yao

4. State Key Laboratory of Chinese Medicine and Molecular Pharmacology (Incubation), The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China

   Yin Zhou, Cheuk Chi A. Ng, Chengxi Liu & Zhong-Ping Yao

5. Shenzhen Key Laboratory of Food Biological Safety Control, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University Shenzhen Research Institute, Shenzhen, 518057, China

   Yin Zhou, Cheuk Chi A. Ng, Chengxi Liu & Zhong-Ping Yao

6. Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Kowloon, Hong Kong SAR, China

   Wai Man Tam & Francis C. M. Lau

Contributions

Y.Z., C.C.A.N., and Z.P.Y. designed the experiments. W.M.T. and F.C.M.L. encoded and decoded the data with the error-correction schemes. Y.Z. and C.C.A.N. performed the LC-MS/MS analysis. C.L. and Y.Z. performed the native and denatured MS and stability analysis. Y.Z., C.C.A.N., C.L., and W.M.T. drafted the manuscript. Z.P.Y. and F.C.M.L. revised the manuscript. Z.P.Y. initiated and coordinated the whole project.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Zhong-Ping Yao.

Competing interests

The authors declare the following competing interests: Y.Z., C.C.A.N., C.L., and Z.P.Y. are inventors for a related patent entitled “Data storage using proteins” (Zhongping Yao, Yin Zhou, Cheuk Chi Ng, Chengxi Liu, PCT patent application No. PCT/CN2023/108347, filed on 20 July 2023; CN patent application No. 202380100287.2, filed on 7 Jan 2026; US Non-Provisional patent application No. 19/501,196, filed on 12 January 2026; EP patent application No. 23945486.1, filed on 16 January 2026). W.M.T. and F.C.M.L. declare no competing interests.

Peer review information

Nature Communications thanks Chunhai Fan, and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. A peer review file is available.

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