Researchers craft 'DNA Storage Device' capable of retaining extensive information for thousands of years
In an exciting development aimed at tackling the growing data storage crisis, scientists have unveiled a groundbreaking technology known as the DNA cassette tape. This innovative solution, developed by researchers at the Southern University of Science and Technology in China, harnesses the high density of DNA to store immense quantities of data in a tiny, durable format.
The prototype DNA cassette tape is expected to boast an impressive 36 petabytes of data, equivalent to the storage capacity of 36,000 conventional hard drives. This extraordinary capacity is made possible by barcode patterns printed onto the surface of the tape, creating millions of tiny, addressable sections.
To ensure the longevity of the stored data, a protective crystalline layer is applied to the tape. This layer prevents DNA degradation, allowing the storage to last for hundreds or even thousands of years without the need for electricity.
The DNA cassette tape is designed to resemble an old audio cassette tape, with a physical tape made from a polyester-nylon blend. If successful, this technology could provide a scalable solution for data centers by offering a more efficient and sustainable way to store vast amounts of data without consuming much energy.
The digital data is translated into a DNA sequence and stored on the tape, working much like a computer's binary code. The single human cell's DNA has a theoretical data storage capacity of 3.2 gigabytes, providing a testament to the potential of DNA as a data storage solution.
The researcher group behind this breakthrough is the 'Church Lab' at Harvard University. The DNA cassette tape has already been demonstrated to quickly store and retrieve a digital image, proving its functionality for fast, large-scale data storage.
As the world drowns in data, current storage solutions such as hard drives could soon hit their limits due to their bulky size, energy consumption, and degradation over time. The DNA cassette tape offers a potential alternative, with the capacity to store vast amounts of information in a tiny format that can last for thousands of years.
A single 328-foot DNA cassette tape may hold over 3 billion songs, a capacity far exceeding that of a traditional cassette tape. This technology could revolutionise the data storage industry, offering a more sustainable and efficient solution for the ever-growing data needs of the modern world.
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