NEW YORK (AP) — A new report says DNA might be a useful tool for storing digital information, the kind of thing we do with hard drives and CDs today. Researchers say it could store the information from a million CDs in a space no bigger than your little finger, and keep it safe for centuries.
To demonstrate that, the scientists created strands of DNA with data from all 154 Shakespeare sonnets, a photo, a scientific paper, and a brief audio recording. That all fit in a barely visible bit of DNA in a test tube. The data was stored in the four-letter genetic code.
The researchers said the technology might be useful for long-term storage of historical records, for example. Their report was released online Wednesday by the journal Nature.
©2013 by The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
