Intelligence agencies are always looking for the best way they can store the data that we create each and everyday. Recently, DNA has begun to be believed to be the next-gen storage medium.
A new program is called the Molecular Information Storage program is aiming to create a system which can store vast amounts of data with sequence-controlled-polymers, similar to DNA.
Two assignments will have to be successfully completed within a four-year initiative. First a table-top device will have to be created which can write data onto polymers and another device must read the information once it has been stored on the first device.
Finally the teams must create an operating system that can index all data within the network.
DNA-Coding Is Not A New Concept
One group of researchers from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology found a way to encode into DNA in the past.
One gram of DNA can potentially hold up to 455 exabytes of data. LINK
One group of scientist from Harvard University successfully encoded an entire book onto DNA in 2012.
The book encoded in 2012 was actually the experiment which first interested scientists to look at DNA as a possible storage medium.
DNA-Drives Can Store So Much Data
The hard drives currently used on many computers today usually store one terabyte of data.
Harvard researchers could store 700 terabytes on a single gram of DNA. Later on another team continued their work and raised the capacity to 2200 terabytes.
2015 arrives and a group of researchers at the University of Illinois detailed a system capable of storing 490 exabyes on one single gram. That equals to 490 billion gigabytes!
What Do You Think About DNA Storage?
I believe that this technology will be the future but many people think it is not ethical because human DNA should remains as only human DNA, not as a storage medium.
To put some perspective in, 700 terabytes of data would equal 14,000 50-gigabyte Blue-ray discs. 233 3TB drives all weighing in at 332,898 pounds would be needed to store the same amount of data contained in one droplet of DNA.
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Fascinating. Seems to me that DNA as a storage medium would have to be "kept alive"--whatever keeping alive DNA separated from a heart (and blood) central nervous system, etc., would look like. The whole field of gene manipulation is already a scary topic for me..with the potential for cloning, gene splicing, etc. This seems like a whole new dimension to that same ethical quandary. Going to have to think about this one awhile... Thanks for the interesting topic.
Yes, this is freaky stuff for sure. You are very welcome.
It's dangerous and can be used the wrong way around, because DNA is very precious to each and every human being. It's a our coding and once people have our genetic coding in their hands they can please as they will to change us or even kill us and this is absolutely a scary idea to even think about.
Glad you are pondering the ethical dilemma of this technology @moarafatshow