Ultra-small hard drive can store 700 Terabytes

Scientists are developing a digital storage solution that can replace bulky data warehouses with a micro drive.

Scientists are developing a digital storage solution capable of compressing up to 700 terabytes of data into a micro drive. The technology, developed by scientists at the University of Washington (USA), can store data in a small strand of artificial DNA - the naked eye is almost invisible.

700 terabytes of data can be stored in a small artificial DNA.(Source: Getty Images).

Terabyte (commonly abbreviated to TB) is a measurement term for computer storage. The value of a terabyte is one trillion (1,000,000,000,000) bytes, or 1000 gigabytes.

"This wonderful molecule named DNA has the ability to effectively store all your information. Moreover, it is very compact and very durable. We have set a goal of developing it for its ability to store. storing digital data for hundreds or thousands of years " - co-author Luis Ceze, associate professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington.

The data can then be accessed using DNA sequencing techniques . This is the process by which data is "read" by converting it back to its original format.

"The main obstacle preventing further development of these storage techniques is the cost associated with creating artificial DNA . Specifically, researchers in the UK estimate that it will cost more than $ 12,000 per megabyte. to encrypt DNA data, but it only costs about $ 200 per megabyte to read data back, "said Dr. Spike Narayan, Director of IBM's Science and Technology Division.

According to experts, all data in the world is expected to reach 44,000 billion gigabytes by 2020.