What ensures that the overall data integrity in DNA storage can be recovered even if some sequences are missing or severely damaged?

• A. This is achieved by using address blocks.
• B. This is achieved by using RNA primers.
• C. This is achieved by using robust error-correcting codes such as Reed-Solomon codes.
• D. This is achieved by increasing storage temperature.

Answer: (D)

Data integrity in DNA storage is preserved by adding redundancy across the data so that the original information can be recovered even if some sequences are lost or damaged. Robust error-correcting codes, like Reed-Solomon codes, are designed for this purpose. They treat data as symbols and append parity information, enabling the decoder to reconstruct the original data from the remaining symbols even when several sequences are erased or corrupted. The amount of recovery possible depends on how much redundancy is built in, but these codes are specifically chosen because they can correct multiple errors or missing pieces. Address blocks can help locate data but don’t restore it on their own, RNA primers aren’t used for data recovery, and increasing storage temperature would harm rather than help data integrity.