January 2023 Issue

News & Announcements

Happy New Year to our readers! We expect 2023 to be another impressive year for DNA data storage advancements. Read on to learn what's new and exciting.

Biomemory Raises 5M Euros to Advance Data Storage Solutions

Biomemeory, an alliance member, has received an investment of 5 million Euros co-led by eureKare, also an alliance member, to support development of petrol-free DNA synthesis and copy process based on synthetic biology. Its technologies enable the production of long, bio-sourced, biocompatible and bio-secure DNA fragments that can be stored as inert polymers for thousands of years without any energy input. The funds raised will be used to optimize technologies and dramatically reduce cost.

Catalog Demos Massively Parallel DNA Storage Search

DNA Data Storage Alliance member, Catalog Technologies, says it has made a historic breakthrough by demonstrating massively parallel search of data stored in DNA by encoding data in sections of synthetically produced DNA molecule groups rather than the slower method of encoding it in DNA molecules directly.

World’s Oldest DNA Discovered, Revealing Ancient Arctic Forest Full of Mastodons

More evidence of the longevity of DNA for data storage. Learn how a record-breaking two-million-year-old DNA, the world's oldest, revealed 102 different genera of plants, including 24 that have never been found fossilized in the formation, and nine animals, including horseshoe crabs, hares, geese and mastodons that once roamed Greenland's forests.

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Biology is All You Need

What We've Been Reading

How to Store Data for 1,000 Years

Many DNA storage researchers believe they have hit upon the perfect storage medium for both widespread and incredibly long-term storage. Beyond using DNA to store genomic information, researchers are excited about storing vast quantities of digital data currently choking data centers.

DNA and Glass May Provide Alternative Storage Methods as Data Backlog Grows

The US Federal Government is among the many entities interested in alternative data storage methods to meet the demand of storing massive amounts of data and are keeping a close eye on synthetic DNA and etched glass as alternative storage methods. 

 Artists, Technologists Bring Data Storage to Life

Applications for DNA data storage reach far beyond data centers. Some examples of how DNA labeling could be used include embedding DNA into paint to confirm that a piece of work is authentic or storing data inside of plants which would set up the potential of using plants to record new information about their environment.

Can DNA Solve Data Storage Limits?

DNA data storage is much more than a theory. The DNA data storage market was valued at $55.9 million in 2021 and is expected to reach $1,926 million by 2028.

10 Years of Natural Data Storage

Advancements in natural data storage have the potential to replace current physical storage. The DNA Data Storage Alliance with more than 30 companies and academic institutions from around the world is working to make DNA data storage commercially available in the next 5–10 years. The success of the alliance will also motivate researchers to explore other natural storage medium such as bacteria and protein.