# An Indel-Resistant Error-Correcting Code for DNA-Based Information Storage

## TL;DR

This paper introduces HEDGES, an error-correcting code designed for DNA data storage that effectively corrects substitutions, insertions, and deletions within a single read, improving efficiency and approaching Shannon limits.

## Contribution

The paper presents HEDGES, a novel ECC capable of correcting all major DNA sequencing errors in one read, advancing DNA storage reliability and efficiency.

## Key findings

- Corrects up to ~10% nucleotide errors.
- Achieves 50% or more of Shannon limit.
- Operates effectively within varying code rates.

## Abstract

Synthetic DNA can in principle be used for the archival storage of arbitrary data. Because errors are introduced during DNA synthesis, storage, and sequencing, an error-correcting code (ECC) is necessary for error-free recovery of the data. Previous work has utilized ECCs that can correct substitution errors, but not insertion or deletion errors (indels), instead relying on sequencing depth and multiple alignment to detect and correct indels -- in effect an inefficient multiple-repetition code. This paper describes an ECC, termed "HEDGES", that corrects simultaneously for substitutions, insertions, and deletions in a single read. Varying code rates allow for correction of up to ~10% nucleotide errors and achieve 50% or better of the estimated Shannon limit.