Chinese scientists have proposed a revolutionary method of storing information that could completely change the way we archive data. Instead of traditional magnetic media, they have developed a cassette based on synthetic DNA. This new medium has the potential to store huge amounts of data for centuries.
A team from the Southern University of Science and Technology in China is responsible for creating this innovative product. The scientists printed barcodes on a polyester-nylon tape and placed DNA molecules between them. The tapes act as separators and contain address information, making it easier to find specific fragments of data. To protect the information from degradation, a special coating based on frame links is used.
DNA cassette vs. standard cassette
The amount of information that can be stored on this new medium is impressive. One kilometer of this tape can hold up to 362 petabytes of information. For comparison, a standard compact cassette can only store about 12 songs per side. In contrast, a DNA cassette of the same length can store over three billion music songs, each of which is 10 megabytes in size.