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To most of us, DNA stores the code of all living things.
But according to computer scientists, DNA may one day become the preferential storage medium for all things.
Now, a team of scientists at the University of Washington has published a paper describing one of the first complete DNA storage systems that encodes, stores and retrieves digital images using strings of synthetic DNA molecules.
This isn’t the first attempt at using the code of life to store digital data, but it’s certainly unique. Here’s the kicker: the system supports random access — selectively reading only a desired file from DNA, rather than the entire database — a first in the field, according to the press release.
It’s like jumping from tape to CD — a quantum leap — but for DNA-based data storage, explains Dr. Luis Ceze, a computer scientist and engineer who led the study, in an interview with Singularity Hub.
Why would we want to store computer data on the fabric of life?
The short answer: breathtaking raw storage capacity and longevity.
Our digital universe, the set of all digital data worldwide, is forecast to grow to over 16 zettabytes in 2017. This exponential growth is quickly exceeding our ability to store it, even when accounting for development in our current storage technologies.
Read full, original post: This Droplet of DNA Could Store 600 Smartphones Worth of Retrievable Data
