Efficient Image Encoding for DNA Data Storage Using Latent Space Representation of Variational Autoencoder

Authors

  • Muhammad Rafi Muttaqin IPB University and Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Wastukancana
  • Yeni Herdiyeni IPB University
  • Agus Buono IPB University
  • Karlisa Priandana IPB University
  • Iskandar Zulkarnaen Siregar IPB University

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.21512/commit.v20i2.13987

Keywords:

Biological Constraint, Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA) Data Storage, Image Compression, Latent Space Representation, Variational Autoencoder (VAE)

Abstract

Deoxyribonucleic Acid (DNA)-based data storage as a revolutionary approach to long-term, highdensity information storage faces the challenge of high costs and biological constraints in DNA synthesis. Unlike conventional binary encoding, DNA storage requires efficient data compression techniques to minimize the length of the resulting DNA sequence. The research explores the use of a Variational Autoencoder (VAE) as a deep learning-based compression method to reduce image complexity. VAE enables significant data reduction while retaining essential structural features. The dataset used is from the Modified National Institute of Standards and Technology (MNIST) database. The proposed method involves encoding images into latent variables, followed by binarization and translation into DNA sequences while applying biological constraints such as maintaining GC balance and avoiding homopolymers, to ensure stability and sequencing accuracy. Reconstruction quality is assessed using the Structural Similarity Index Measure (SSIM) and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR), yielding an average SSIM of 0.8017 and an average PSNR of 18.91 dB. Analysis of variance shows that digits with greater variability suffer more noticeable degradation, whereas digits with lower variability preserve their structural integrity. These results suggest that integrating VAE into DNA data storage can reduce sequence complexity while still preserving recognizable image structures. The research contributes to the advancement of DNA-based data storage by presenting optimized coding techniques.

Dimensions

Author Biographies

Muhammad Rafi Muttaqin, IPB University and Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Wastukancana

Doctoral Program in Computer Science, School of School of Data Science, Mathematics, and Informatics, IPB University

Informatic Engineering, Sekolah Tinggi Teknologi Wastukancana

Yeni Herdiyeni, IPB University

Artificial Intelligence Study Program, School of Data Science, Mathematics, and Informatics

Agus Buono, IPB University

Doctoral Program in Computer Science, School of School of Data Science, Mathematics, and Informatics

Karlisa Priandana, IPB University

Doctoral Program in Computer Science, School of School of Data Science, Mathematics, and Informatics

Iskandar Zulkarnaen Siregar, IPB University

Department of Silviculture, Faculty of Forestry

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Published

2026-07-27

How to Cite

[1]
M. R. Muttaqin, Y. Herdiyeni, A. Buono, K. Priandana, and I. Z. Siregar, “Efficient Image Encoding for DNA Data Storage Using Latent Space Representation of Variational Autoencoder”, CommIT (Communication and Information Technology) Journal, vol. 20, no. 2, pp. 219–231, Jul. 2026.
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