Dry DNA Chip: Ficus benghalensis Bio-Carbon Substrate for Passive DNA Data Storage.

This paper presents the Dry DNA Chip — a novel bio-carbon semiconductor substrate fabricated from

pyrolyzed Ficus benghalensis (Indian Banyan) bark for passive, power-free DNA-based data storage.

Digital binary data is encoded into DNA base sequences (A, T, C, G) using a 2-bit mapping scheme

(00=A, 01=T, 10=C, 11=G), then spotted onto the porous bio-carbon substrate where cellulose matrix

capillary absorption and chitosan electrostatic binding lock the DNA permanently without any electrical

power. Retrieval is achieved via nanopore sequencing followed by software-based ATCG-to-binary

decoding. The chip substrate is fabricated by dry pressing Ficus benghalensis bark powder at 30 MPa

and 130 degrees Celsius, exploiting the natural lignin, cellulose, and tannin content as binders —

eliminating the need for artificial substrates, plastic, or water in manufacturing. The same substrate, upon

further pyrolysis at 400-600 degrees Celsius, yields a conductive bio-carbon semiconductor for data

centre chip applications. This dual-function architecture from a single indigenous forest resource

represents a fundamentally new approach to sustainable semiconductor development for India.