DNA as a futuristic USB flash drive. This is how they intend to store your data in molecules.
A team from the University of Missouri has presented an idea that might seem like science fiction: turning DNA into the basis for a rewritable hard drive.
Researchers confirm that although storing digital files in genetic material seems like science fiction, recent developments are bringing this scenario closer to reality.
They explain that DNA is one of the most dense and stable information storage systems known. In nature, DNA strands contain the biological instructions that make life possible.
The challenge lies in reusing this ability to encode digital data, converting traditional bits into genetic rules.
To achieve this, the team uses a concept known as frameshifting, inspired by the process of changing the ribosomal reading frame that has been observed in many viruses.
In these cases, a single strand of messenger RNA (mRNA) can produce different proteins, maximizing the use of information within a limited space. The idea is to transfer this same logic to the digital world, applying a similar system that allows data to be written to DNA quickly and efficiently.
The technical details of this achievement were published in the journal PNAS Nexus. According to the researchers, this strategy could facilitate molecular typing on a large scale, although significant engineering and biochemical challenges remain.
In addition to the coding system, the researchers developed a small electronic device that works in conjunction with a molecular detector.
As strands of synthetic DNA pass through the detector, slight differences in electrical charge occur. The software then interprets these signals and converts them into binary sequences that can be reconstructed as digital files.
Project leader Lee-Kun Goo asserts that this method is faster and simpler than previous methods of storing data in DNA.
However, it is acknowledged that this technology still needs to be miniaturized to be closer in size to current devices such as USB flash drives.
This type of storage promises storage densities that far exceed those found in semiconductor chips or traditional hard drives, as well as its potential resistance to certain types of electronic intrusions.
If this technology is successful, its practical application may take years to reach the implementation stage, although research in this field continues to progress.