🎻 Cassettes Are Making a Comeback—Now with DNA
A team from the Southern University of Science and Technology in China has developed a cassette that uses DNA molecules as the storage medium, applied onto a plastic tape.
In theory, 100 meters of this "tape" can store up to 36 petabytes of data (equivalent to about 7.5 million DVDs). That's enough to hold tens of thousands of years of music, for example.
🧬 How Does the Cassette Work?
Any file is a sequence of zeros and ones, or bits. In the "DNA cassette," combinations of bits are converted into four "letters"—A, T, C, and G—which correspond to the nitrogenous bases that make up DNA. This process turns the data into a long "text."
To protect the DNA molecules, the tape is coated with a "crystalline armor" made from a special solution. This prevents the breakdown of DNA bonds and ensures long-term data stability—potentially for hundreds of years.
💾 Is It Practical?
The key innovation is simplified access to the data. Barcodes are embedded on the tape, allowing a specially designed drive to quickly locate specific files. The drive automatically performs chemical reactions to extract the DNA molecules. The sample is then sequenced—decoding the DNA "text" back into a digital file.
For everyday use, the "DNA cassette" is not yet very practical. However, it's well-suited for compact storage of massive datasets—for example, training data for AI systems.
