The JPEG Committee has decided to explore efficient image coding approaches for applications where DNA is used as storage support. One such application is long term preservation of media content. Because of its past successful history of offering efficient image and image sequence formats for storage and archival applications, the JPEG committee is well positioned to address standardization challenges related to multimedia content efficient representations and, in particular, for image and image sequences in the context of DNA storage.

As a minimum, JPEG committee could launch an activity to convert its existing image coding formats from compressed binary representation to compressed “AGCT” quaternary representation. Standardized image coding approaches along with appropriate tools such as error resiliency and associated metadata, particularly suited to the DNA digital information storage requirements, are also good directions for JPEG to explore. As an immediate step, the DNA digital information storage applications need to be explored more in detail with particular emphasis on image and image sequences as information. They should then be prioritized in terms of time to market and maturity with efforts primarily focusing on specific use cases that can gather a critical mass of stakeholders. A first and a second and a third online workshop were organised to launch such an exploration.

In order to continue gathering input from stakeholders, a fourth workshop will be organised on Friday, 2 July 2021. This workshop is organised as part of an Ad Hoc Group that has been created to carry out the above objectives.

Practical information

• Date: July 2, 2021
• Time: from 15:00 UTC to 16:35 UTC
• Access: Zoom

Program

• 15:00 UTC - Introduction, Touradj Ebrahimi and Marc Antonini
• 15:05 UTC - Compression, learning and error-correction for DNA-based image storage, Olgica Milenkovic (University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, USA)
• 15:30 UTC - Writing data to DNA: What breakthroughs are needed to make this technology feasible?, Nimesh Pinnamaneni (HelixWorks Technologies, Ireland)
• 15:55 UTC - Imagene technology for ambient temperature storage of DNA, Marthe Colotte (Imagene, France)
• 16:20 UTC - Wrap up session
• 16:45 UTC - End

More information

A working draft of the findings of the JPEG DNA AHG can be found here.

JPEG DNA AHG mailing list is open to public and all stakeholders and interested parties in media technologies and applications that can benefit from DNA storage technologies are invited to join the mailing list and to take part in the activities by registering here.