DNA-CTMF: Reconstruct high quality image from lossy DNA storage via Pixel-Base codebook and median filter

Abstract

Limited by uncertain base errors in DNA storage, additional correction measures may introduce redundancy or even expand errors, resulting in poor reconstructed image. DNA-CTMF is proposed to reconstruct high quality images at high errors and indels. Firstly, Pixel-Base codebook and chaotic system ensure DNA sequences meet biological constraints. Then, codebook adjusts offset base-groups affected by indels to their original position. Finally, median filter removes salt-and-pepper noise caused by base errors. Simulated experiments show reconstructed images by DNA-CTMF exhibit high quality with minimal variation at different error compositions. Even at 5 % error rate and indels accounting for 2/3, DNA-CTMF reconstruct high quality images with PSNR approximately 23 and MS-SSIM exceeding 0.9. Tests on 4000 images demonstrate DNA-CTMF's superiority on multiple images. Wet experiments proves that DNA-CTMF can reconstruct images close to original at low error rate, which is consistent with the results of simulated experiments. Different from researches which adopted error correction codes, DNA-CTMF addresses base errors by image processing technology, providing a new interdisciplinary solution and perspective for storing images into DNA.