What role does sequencing play in retrieving data from DNA storage?

• A. Sequencing converts the DNA-encoded data back into digital form, with accuracy dependent on coverage and read quality.
• B. Sequencing stores data physically.
• C. Sequencing is unnecessary for retrieval.
• D. Sequencing only compresses data.

Answer: (A)

Sequencing is the step that reads the stored DNA to reveal its nucleotide sequence. The encoded data is embedded in that sequence, and decoding it yields the original digital information. The accuracy of this retrieval depends on coverage and read quality. Coverage means how many times each part of the data is read, allowing the system to spot and correct errors by building a consensus across reads. Read quality reflects how reliably each base is called; higher-quality reads reduce mistakes that decoding and error-correcting schemes must fix. Because of this, sequencing is essential for retrieval: you can’t get the digital data back without reading the DNA, and sequencing is not merely storage, not unnecessary, and not about compression. The sequencing results feed into the decoding process that converts the reads back into bits.