Scientists claim to have made significant progress in their efforts to store data as DNA molecules, which are more compact and long-lasting than other options. According to scientists, the data would last thousands of years. A team in Atlanta, Georgia, has invented a chip that, according to the researchers, might improve present DNA storage methods by a factor of 100. “The density of features on our new chip is [approximately] 100x higher than current commercial devices,” Nicholas Guise, a senior research scientist at Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), told in a statement. “So once we add all the control electronics – which is what we’re doing over the next year of the program – we expect something like a 100x improvement over existing technology for DNA data storage.”

Magnetic hard drives, which are now used to store computer data, can take up a lot of room and must be replaced over time. Huge amounts of data may be archived in small molecules if life’s preferred storage medium to back up our valuable data is used. The method works by creating one-of-a-kind DNA strands one building block at a time. The bases – four unique chemical components that make up the DNA molecule – are these building blocks. The error rate of DNA storage is higher than that of standard hard drive storage. GTRI researchers have devised a method of detecting and fixing these inaccuracies in partnership with the University of Washington.