(ANSA) – ROME, JULY 21 – Cryptography becomes molecular: a key based on a sequence of polymers has been successfully used to decode the protected text of the book ‘The Wizard of Oz’. The team from the University of Texas at Austin led by Samuel Dahlhauser developed the new cryptographic technique; the results of which are published in the journal ACS Central Science.
Over the years, data has assumed an increasingly central role in our society and for this reason storage and protection systems represent one of the sectors where many efforts are concentrated. Writing data inside molecules, such as DNA strands or synthetic polymers, is proving to be one of the most interesting sectors but there are still many challenges to overcome before they can really become a concrete alternative to more traditional technologies such as typical hard drives or USB sticks.
An important step now comes from American researchers, who have managed to use some polymer chains as a key to decrypt a file. To demonstrate its capabilities, they sent the polymer package containing the solution to decrypt the file inside the ink used to write a greeting letter. With simple steps and using typical chemistry lab equipment the recipient was able to identify the hidden code and use it to decode a text file that contained The Wizard of Oz. The work was a concrete demonstration of the potential of using polymers as a stable and secure means for sending keys useful for data protection and extending the possibilities of encryption. (HANDLE).
Source: Ansa
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