Microsoft was able to store a billion billion bytes of data in one millimeter of DNA

Technology giant Microsoft thinks that biology can solve the growing problem of data storage.

Based on recent research related to storing movies and documents in DNA, Microsoft is developing a device that can use biology to replace tape storage.

The tape life, though different in shape and function, has the same core principle.

Microsoft Research computer architects say the company is standardizing its goal of building an operating storage system, based on the core principle that the DNA structure works right inside the data center. The project is expected to be one of Microsoft's key directions until the end of this decade.

"In three years we will target a system (originally commercialized - PV) that helps store a certain amount of data in DNA on one of our data centers, at least the application. in the niche and niche markets, " said Doug Carmean, an engineer at Microsoft Research. He also helped those interested in visualizing this device, describing it to be about the same size as Xerox's photocopier for years . 70.

Is this big .

Behind these claims, Microsoft even nurtured a great ambition to replace the tape storage devices, data technology that is very popular in our time."We hope we can give it a brand like" Storage with DNA " , Carmean said.

This plan signals the intensity that technology companies want to pursue the idea of ​​extreme paradox if they look outwardly - store videos, images, and precious documents in the same molecule that their genome we are created from there. The reason, according to Victor Zhirnov, the lead scientist of the Semiconductor Research Association (SRC) based in North Carolina, USA - is because the effort to shrink computer memory has almost reached the limit of things. Its reason, however, that DNA can store data with an extraordinary density.

If formatted with DNA, all the films that were made will fit in a volume smaller than a sugar cube.

With DNA technology, each volume is enough to contain . three times more than a hundred years of film industry history.

"DNA is the most densely stored environment in the universe, if we simply look at the physical rules. This is why people are paying great attention to it," Zhirnov said. "And the problem we are dealing with is the development rate according to the power level of information."

In July, Microsoft publicly announced the storage of 200 megabytes of data in DNA sequences, including a music video, and a recording. This project is described in a March essay published for Biorxiv, led by Carmean and Karin Strauss, both of whom are members of Microsoft Research, along with Luis Cezze, computer scientist from the institute. University of Washington research.

Carmean (blue shirt) and Strauss are conducting experiments on DNA.

The big obstacles are still there. Converting digital bits to DNA codes (made up of a series of nucleotides labeled A, G, C and T) is still very expensive and very laborious, because the chemical process needed to produce DNA sequences. In this presentation project, Microsoft used 13,448,372 unique pieces of DNA. Experts say that buying each of those materials takes at least $ 800,000 at market prices.

"The main problem with DNA storage is price , " said Yaniv Erlich, a professor at Columbia University who earlier this year announced a plan to write a novel on the subject. "So the central question is whether Microsoft can solve this problem?". Based on what they announced, Erlich said, "I haven't seen any progress on this goal yet, but somehow they have their own secrets."

According to Microsoft, the cost of storing DNA data needs to fall below 10,000 before it can be widely applied. While many experts think it is impossible, Microsoft believes that such advances may occur if the computer industry and market demand are large enough.

Automating the process of writing digital data for DNA is an important step. Based on their weekly experiments, Carmean estimates that the rate of converting data into DNA is currently only 400 bytes per second. Microsoft thinks we have to raise that number to 100,000, or 100 megabytes.

Reading data is much easier. This can be achieved by high-speed sequencing machines, including recalling a specific part of the file, similar to random access to computer memory. There may even be a double improvement in DNA reading, which Microsoft hopes makes this process useful enough for commercialization.

Because the process of writing and writing data with DNA is very slow, all intentions for early adoption of this technology will be limited to specific cases. That may include data that needs to be collected for legal and procedural purposes, such as police carema videos, or medical records.

Microsoft is currently working with Twist Bioscience, a San Francisco-based DNA producer. Twist is one of the start-up companies trying to improve the DNA production process, a list of numerous other names like DNAScript, Evonetix, Catalog DNA, Helixworks . enough to show the "raspy" of emerging industries are eating out to make this.

One of the exciting possibilities that is being pursued by many start-ups is replacing the 40-year-old chemical process . synthesizing DNA through enzymes, simulating our own bodies. Jean Bolot, scientific director at Technicolor Research Institute in Los Altos, said that Harvard University is pouring money into this project, in the lab at George's Church, a place that specializes in Genetic Research.

DNA synthesis process.

"I am very confident that we will have the results to discuss this year," Bolot said, adding that his company is discussing with film studios about whether they can use storage. ADN. They said that half of the films made before 1951 were lost by celluloid storage technology. Not only that now, new formats such as high-definition video or actual shirts put a heavy burden on studios in preserving their labor achievements.

Zhirnov said that computer chip makers are paying close attention to DNA because they, above all, understand the physical limitations of traditional media such as tape from hard drives. Zhirnov's organization, which is funded by Microsoft, Intel and elsewhere to conduct application research, began to show more insight into DNA storage since 2013. He said professionals Semiconductors believe that DNA " too soft" will be surprised to know that it is hundreds to thousands of times more durable than silicon devices. Remember that DNA molecules must be extremely stable to be able to recover easily in fossil bones of such ancient humans and animals.

The restored DNA in mammoth bones makes it easy for scientists to know almost everything about this extinct animal.

However, the most important characteristic of DNA is density.DNA can store 1,000,000,000,000,000 (or 1 billion billion) bytes of data in 1 millimeter. "Density is the source of everything," Zhirnov said.

A Microsoft Research spokesman said the company could not confirm the "detailed product plan" at this time. Within the company, the idea of ​​storing DNA seems to be taking over people's minds, but that doesn't mean it has been universally accepted.

In addition to having a high density and durability, DNA has an additional advantage that seems to be less mentioned, it is extremely familiar to humans. Think of old floppy disks that you can't read on it anymore, or farther away, ancient Babylonian clay plates with . pictograms on it. Unlike all other media, DNA will probably never be fad.

"We will always have to read DNA, as long as we are human," Carmean said.

DNA can store 1,000,000,000,000,000 (or 1 billion billion) bytes of data in 1 millimeter.