The rapid growth of digital data is forcing scientists to look for new ways to store information. Researchers from South China University of Science and Technology in China have presented one of the most unusual options — a tape on which data is stored in DNA molecules. It can store up to 36 petabytes of information on 100 meters. That is equivalent to about 9 million HD-quality films.
Similar projects are being developed around the world. At Microsoft, work is underway on the Silica project — data is written directly into quartz glass using lasers. The American company Catalog is also betting on DNA, but uses synthetic molecules and aims to fully automate the writing process. And at MIT, researchers are creating enzyme systems that encode information directly in proteins.
According to estimates, by 2025 the volume of the world's digital data will exceed 175 zettabytes, and by 2030 global energy consumption by data centers could reach 3–4% of total world generation. That is why scientists around the world are looking for ways to make data storage more environmentally friendly, cheaper and more durable.
