Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have developed a new method for storing information in DNA. They recorded The Wizard of Oz, translated into Esperanto into a double strand of DNA with unprecedented precision.
It is believed that the main difficulty in storing information in DNA is that the molecule can be easily damaged and information will be lost. The new coding algorithm allows both efficiently recording data and extracting it from DNA. At the same time, according to the developers, the data can be restored, even if the DNA strands are damaged. And the very method of recording information occurs in such a way as to avoid those DNA sections that may be prone to errors or are difficult to read. …
In the course of the experiments, the researchers exposed the DNA containing the novel to high temperatures and humidity. Despite the damage, they successfully retrieved all the recorded information without errors.
It is believed that storing information in DNA is 5 million times more efficient than any other modern storage device. Scientists say a milliliter of DNA can hold the same amount of data as two server farms, each the size of a Wallmart mall. Thus, the new algorithm could be the beginning of a new era in data storage.