Microsoft Automates DNA-Based Data Storage
by Ryan Whitwam
Technology has made it easier than ever to create content, be it photos, video, or an angsty Tumblr blog. You might have a device in your pocket right now that can record 4K video at dozens of megabits per second. In 2018, humanity created 33 zettabytes (that’s 33 billion petabytes), and that number will rise to about 175 zettabytes by 2025.
Some computer scientists are worried that our ability to create data will eventually outstrip our ability to store it, so Microsoft is looking at ways to store that data in DNA. The company has created the world’s first automated DNA read and write platform, as PCMag reports. It’s not as simple or portable as a flash drive, but it could be the future of data storage.
Scientists have explored DNA as a data storage medium for years because it’s incredibly information-dense. A single cell can store all the information needed to build a human. Combined, all the cells in your body can store many zettabytes of data encoded in strands of nucleic acid. Microsoft researchers also note that DNA storage could be the most future-proof medium we have. As long as there are humans, they will be interested in reading…
