Harvard scientists convert 53,000-word book into DNA

Harvard scientists have managed to convert a 53,000 word book into DNA, potentially paving the way for DNA to be used as a storage medium. Announcing their breakthrough in the Science journal, the team note that they were able to not only write the book using DNA micro-chips, they were then able to read it using advanced DNA sequencing techniques.

IEEE Spectrum has the details, explaining that the data was recorded on individual nucleobase pairs in the DNA strand, which means that DNA can store more data per unit of area than Flash devices. The book included not only 53,426 words but also a javascript program and 11 images. The result was a book that has about one-millionth of the weight of a grain of sand.

The process remains expensive, but it has certain advantages. First, it should be future-proof since DNA isn’t something that’s likely to become obsolete any time soon; the second is that DNA can last for thousands of years. Beyond that, there are plenty of sci-fi applications of data-as-DNA, though for now those are just the stuff of dreams (or nightmares).