Microsoft has developed a device for recording digital information in DNA

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Microsoft разработала устройство для записи цифровой информации в ДНКMicrosoft showed a prototype drive based on DNA.

Microsoft has teamed up with the University of Washington have developed a device for recording digital information in DNA and the reverse decoding in a digital form. Thus, the company became the first in whose possession ready, fully automated device of its kind.

The prototype of the device costs approximately $10 thousand during the first test, he wrote the word “HELLO” on a DNA carrier. The word was converted into binary code, and binary code is converted into a DNA sequence. Then, the corresponding DNA was synthesized and stored in liquid form. To read information was used to reverse the process. using sequencer DNA sequence was decoded, and then converted back to binary code and text.

Of course, to save so you can not only text, but any kind of digital information. DNA in this case acts solely in the role of exotic media. However, the process of writing and reading can be very long. Write and read the word “HELLO” in volume 5 bytes scientists took 21 hours of real time. However, the developers have figured out how to cut time in half for a few thousand dollars to reduce the cost of the system itself.

It should be noted that the experiments with the recording of the information in DNA is not new. But the breakthrough Microsoft is that the company managed to create a fully automated device that need to connect to the computer like a card reader or floppy drive.

What is the meaning of this development?

Given the speed record, now DNA carriers to use is pointless, but in the future this technology may be one of the most promising. The fact that the carrier takes up very little space. The word “HELLO” will fit in 4 micrograms of fluid. So, the information stored in a data center the size of a large warehouse that can fit in a single cubic centimeter of DNA.

The second advantage of such media – durability and reliability. The mammoth tusks and the bones of primitive people, DNA can persist for several millennia. Because Microsoft hopes within ten years to develop the technology that will allow contact with DNA as with conventional media like pendrive or CD.

The developers are confident that the DNA carriers of the future. Therefore, maybe by 2030 we’ll all use similar technology.

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