Fast tamper location of batch DNA sequences based on reversible data hiding

Nowadays, more and more DNA sequences are stored in databases of NCBI and other organizations. Based on these databases, much research has been conducted. Once tampered, the research results will be useless and even lead to disastrous consequences. It is significant to protect the integrity of the DNA sequences. This paper proposes a fast tamper location method of batch DNA sequences based on reversible data hiding. A fragile watermarking combining with the Merkle Hash Tree is presented with respect to achieving fast tamper location of batch DNA sequences. With the method in the paper, the tampered blocks can be fast located, especially for dealing with batch DNA sequences. The method can be applied to large databases, where providers can quickly check whether the DNA sequences are intact or not. Besides, users can solve the problem that the sequences may be tampered during transmission.