Found this interesting paper about using DNA for archival storage.
Abstract:
Demand for data storage is growing exponentially, but the
capacity of existing storage media is not keeping up. Using
DNA to archive data is an attractive possibility because
it is extremely dense, with a raw limit of 1 exabyte/mm3
(109 GB/mm3
), and long-lasting, with observed half-life of
over 500 years.
This paper presents an architecture for a DNA-based
archival storage system. It is structured as a key-value store,
and leverages common biochemical techniques to provide
random access. We also propose a new encoding scheme
that offers controllable redundancy, trading off reliability for
density. We demonstrate feasibility, random access, and robustness of the proposed encoding with wet lab experiments
involving 151 kB of synthesized DNA and a 42 kB randomaccess subset, and simulation experiments of larger sets calibrated to the wet lab experiments. Finally, we highlight trends
in biotechnology that indicate the impending practicality of
DNA storage for much larger datasets.
cats_and_dogs•1h ago
Abstract: Demand for data storage is growing exponentially, but the capacity of existing storage media is not keeping up. Using DNA to archive data is an attractive possibility because it is extremely dense, with a raw limit of 1 exabyte/mm3 (109 GB/mm3 ), and long-lasting, with observed half-life of over 500 years. This paper presents an architecture for a DNA-based archival storage system. It is structured as a key-value store, and leverages common biochemical techniques to provide random access. We also propose a new encoding scheme that offers controllable redundancy, trading off reliability for density. We demonstrate feasibility, random access, and robustness of the proposed encoding with wet lab experiments involving 151 kB of synthesized DNA and a 42 kB randomaccess subset, and simulation experiments of larger sets calibrated to the wet lab experiments. Finally, we highlight trends in biotechnology that indicate the impending practicality of DNA storage for much larger datasets.