Within the next few decades, the blueprint for life could double as media storage that will last for thousands of years.
Researchers at the European Bioinformatics Institute in Hinxton, U.K have found a "practical and error-tolerant" way to encrypt computer files on DNA, an incredible feat considering the price of sequencing and synthesizing DNA continues to drop.
Whereas old school analog storage breaks down and warps over time, DNA is resilient, especially when refrigerated or frozen. It is also likely to remain highly useful, says project leader Nick Goldman. There will always be machines to read DNA, and no shortage of people eager to consume historical artifacts.
[via MIT Technology Review]
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