Bacterial spores deliver snoop-proof storage

摘要

Humble bacterial spores are taking us closer to an age of DNA information storage, thanks to new ways of protecting archived data from corruption as well as from hackers. DNA could be a good long-term solution for archiving data because it is so dense: a single gram can hold up to 100 billion DVDs. If s also much more durable than the magnetic discs we currently use. "Magnetic tape needs to be restored every six years," says Brendan Largey at the University of Edinburgh, UK. "With DNA, you can put it where you like and it will last hundreds of years."