Efforts to expand data storage capacity are pushing the use of current technologies (HDD hard drives, SSD solid drives, etc.) to the limits of their capabilities, due to the data they can hold and the space they can take up. This is why the "race" to store data in DNA continues at full speed.
Storing data in the DNA: where are we?
Imagine being able to transform every single piece of data you have into a DNA base sequence. You could fit these synthesized DNA strands into a tiny space, say 1 cubic millimeter. Do you know how much data we could put in it, according to the latest studies? 9 terabyte. And to read this data? Simple, just sequence the DNA to obtain the original binary code. It goes without saying that this process of storing DNA has a number of incredible advantages over traditional methods. Ok, I made it very easy, but where are we really with the development of this technology?
I present to you Biomemory
To the French start-up Biomemory are certain that DNA, considered a future-proof technology for data storage, will not arrive soon enough to address the rapid increase in content that we're producing. In fact, according to their estimates, by 2025 humanity will have generated 175 zettabytes of data. A figure with 21 zeros, so to speak. Alex Mouradian, CEO of Biomemory, provides more details on this revolutionary innovation in data storage.
A few words about this startup for “biological” data storage:
founded in July 2021 by three industry experts: Stephane Lemaire, Pierre Crozet e Erfane Arwani, the startup is the "daughter" of research conducted at the Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and the Sorbonne Université, where Lemaire and his team have developed an innovative method of data storage using DNA. A method which then led to the creation of a patented technology, called "DNA Drive".
This technology allows data to be physically stored on long biocompatible and bioprotected DNA molecules. A durable data storage solution, with virtually unlimited capacity and the ability to be easily copied biologically at a very low cost. Biomemory is now focusing on miniaturization and automation of an integrated and continuous microfluidic DNA assembly device, with the aim of reaching intermediate markets.
Data storage in DNA: how long will it take?
As you can imagine, it's not easy. To make using DNA as a storage medium practical, we need to be able to synthesize it on a large scale and at an affordable cost. Currently, the cost of storing DNA in oligonucleotides is greater than €1000/MB, which prevented the use of this technology for massive data storage. However, when we manage to synthesize DNA on a (much) higher scale and at a lower cost, we will finally be able to exploit the potential of this material for storing our data safely and reliably. And by minimizing error rates, we could be confident that our information will be kept intact for years and years to come.
"Within the 2030,” says Mouradian, “we will strive to create a device that can operate autonomously and that adapts to the current dimensions of data centers, especially server racks. This tool will be able to accept different types of consumables, such as DNA ink cartridges, which will make it perform better and make it interoperable with other devices in the data value chain.”
A “return to the future”, in short. We will start again from computers as big as wardrobes, but instead of large tapes and punched cards it will manage DNA, and all the information in the world "from here to eternity".
