María Isabel Martínez Rodríguez, head of the Molecular Imaging Group at the Valdecilla Health Research Institute (IDIVAL) and a Nuclear Medicine specialist at the Marqués de Valdecilla University Hospital (HUMV), has been awarded one of the grants from the INNVAL program for her project “Storage and retrieval of biomedical images through DNA encryption and encapsulation in silica nanoparticles.”
The initiative, developed in collaboration with IDIVAL’s Nanomedicine Group—led by Mónica López Fanarraga—and with the U.S. company Iridia Inc., proposes a completely new approach to addressing one of the major challenges of the digital transformation in healthcare: the sustainable, secure, and long-term storage of data generated by biomedical imaging techniques.
A disruptive solution for the growing volume of medical imaging data
The project arises from the urgent need to find alternatives to traditional storage systems, which require large IT infrastructures, constant cooling, and high energy consumption. Techniques such as positron emission tomography (PET/CT) generate very large studies—around 600 megabytes per patient—which are saturating the storage capacity of healthcare centers.
Martínez’s proposal is to encode the images into synthetic DNA molecules, encapsulate them in silica nanoparticles, and evaluate whether they can be retrieved without loss of information after different storage periods. Due to its natural stability, DNA is considered a virtually unlimited, secure information medium that does not require energy for preservation.
“We want to determine whether this technology is effective for storing medical images and all associated data, and whether it allows them to be recovered with the same quality over time,” explains the researcher. The study will be carried out using anonymized real patient images, for which participants will previously provide consent to take part in the project, while always maintaining data confidentiality.
Strategic collaboration and future outlook
The development of this project continues the line of public-private collaboration already initiated by the Nanomedicine Group with Iridia Inc. The participation of this company, a leader in DNA encryption technologies, provides essential value to the project.
“The fact that a leading company trusts this initiative is fundamental. Their experience in cryptography and molecular storage allows us to work with the highest standards of security and reliability,” she highlights.
The INNVAL grant will make it possible to carry out a pilot study to evaluate the real feasibility of the system in a clinical environment. If the results are positive, the team plans to expand the research through national funding calls and extend the technology to other types of medical images and data.
“INNVAL has given us the opportunity to join forces with other groups and explore an idea that could have a huge impact on the future of biomedical data storage. It is a first step toward more ambitious projects,” the researcher concludes.
