DNA data storage might sound futuristic, but it's on the immediate horizon
As the quantity of data generated worldwide continues to expand at an aggressive rate, researchers are looking for ultra-dense and ultra-durable storage technologies capable of housing it all.
For example, Microsoft is examining the possibility of using lasers to etch data into quartz glass, or storing information in hologram form inside crystals. New developments in the field of tape storage, the current leading choice for archival use cases, are also promising.
However, one new storage medium in particular appears to have all the necessary attributes: deoxyribonucleic acid, or DNA. Researchers have found a single gram of DNA is capable of storing 215 PB (220,000 TB) of data.
To find out more about the work going into making DNA storage a commercial reality, TechRadar Pro spoke with the DNA Data Storage Alliance, founded last year by Microsoft, Western Digital, Twist Bioscience and Ilumina.
The Alliance was launched with the goal of raising awareness about the emerging storage technology and establishing a set of standards and specifications on which the industry can build.
What is DNA storage and what challenges is it expected to address?
DNA data storage is the process of encoding and decoding binary data onto and from synthesized strands of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA has several unique properties, including density, it’s essentially free to copy, the code will always be readable, and the cost of ownership over time will be less due to the longevity. In addition, it saves significantly on energy costs when compared to digital storage today.
Legacy storage solutions have scaled extensively over the years, but the areal density of magnetic media (HDD and tape), which enables today’s mainstream archival storage solutions, is slowing, and the size of libraries is becoming unwieldy. In short, data growth is outpacing the scalability of today’s storage solutions. The industry needs a new storage medium that is more dense, durable, sustainable, and cost effective in order to cope with the expected future growth of archival data.
How is it possible for digital information to be translated into a biological format (and back again)?
What kinds of complications can arise here?
To store data in DNA, the original (binary) digital data is encoded (mapped from 1’s and 0’s to sequences of DNA bases, ACGTs), then written (synthesized using chemical/biological processes), and stored. When the stored data is needed again, the DNA molecules are read (sequenced to reveal each individual ACG or T in order) and decoded (re-mapped from DNA bases back to 1’s and 0’s).
There are some concerns about data accuracy potentially introduced by oligonucleotide (short pieces of DNA) synthesis and sequencing errors. However, unlike oligo synthesis for healthcare, which must be perfect, DNA storage can tolerate errors due to the error correction algorithms typically used in storage today. DNA data storage pioneers are already working on encoding/error correction algorithm improvement which will mitigate this risk and recover the data accurately. In addition, cost, speed, logistics, and other challenges remain as barriers for data centers to adopt this technology.
The DNA Data Storage Alliance was formed by Illumina, Microsoft Research, Twist Bioscience and Western Digital. Our mission is to create and promote an interoperable storage ecosystem based on manufactured DNA as a data storage medium. Our initial aim is to educate the public and raise awareness about this emerging technology. In addition, as the methods and tools for commercially viable DNA data storage become better understood and more widely available, the Alliance will consider the creation of specifications and standards (e.g., encoding, physical interfaces, retention, file systems) to promote the emergence of interoperable DNA data storage-based solutions that complement existing storage hierarchies.
What might the impact of DNA storage be on the data center industry?
DNA is an inherently environmentally friendly medium in terms of power, space, and sustainability in addition to significantly reducing the need to migrate data every few years. When it is used as the main archival storage medium at a data center, it has the potential to change data center’s size as well as total cost of ownership and alternatively place significantly lower burdens than legacy archival storage technologies on the earth’s resources.
What are the main barriers that DNA storage will need to overcome?
DNA synthesis and sequencing cost are still relatively high, when comparing with currently used archival storage media such as HDD or tape and significant cost reduction is required in order for DNA data storage to be adopted at scale. In addition, education and trust building to prepare the market for this new storage media will also be critical, which is why the DNA Data Storage Alliance was formed.
What are the latest R&D innovations bringing DNA storage closer to reality?
Costs continue to come down due to miniaturization of the DNA synthesis process by Twist Bioscience. Other companies are pursuing alternative DNA synthesis methods, with both approaches enabling massively parallelized synthesis and cost reductions. NGS cost and throughput are also continuously improving, which makes DNA data retrieval more promising. In addition, coding and decoding algorithm development has demonstrated successes.
What kind of timeline are we dealing with?
DNA data storage will be available in the medium-term. There is more work to do and much momentum moving forward to make it a reality. Early adopters of DNA data storage are likely to be applications where they have Write Once, Read Never (WORN) or Write Once, Read Seldom if Ever (WORSE) data. As the technology evolves and gains acceptance within the community, the market will expand and evolve.
Which incumbent storage technologies is DNA mostly likely to rival?
The demand for long-term data storage in the cloud is reaching unprecedented levels. Existing storage technologies do not provide a cost-effective solution for storing long-lived data. Operating at such scales in the cloud requires a fundamental re-thinking of how we build large-scale storage systems, as well as the underlying storage technologies that underpin them.
Are there any other emerging storage technologies under development that could be equally promising?
Researchers are exploring a variety of technologies to support this evolution, including storing data in synthetic DNA, quartz glass, and other scalable optical systems. DNA data storage is unique in its characteristics and properties – one can argue it will enable a new tier in storage.
Razer has some seriously sharp price cuts for Black Friday week
Razer has gone big for Black Friday this year, applying some epic discounts across its wide range of gaming peripherals. That includes chunky price cuts for the famous Razer Deathadder V2 gaming mouse, the Barracuda X headset, and BlackWidow V3 mechanical gaming keyboard.
We’ll look in more detail at those particular bargains in a moment, but bear in mind that these are just a few highlights of a whole host of deals which are live for Black Friday week over at Razer's online store.
Put it this way: there’s a lot of money to be saved, whether you’re after a mouse, keyboard, headset, or various other accessories for your gaming PC. Don’t forget, Razer also makes a great range of console kit too, or you can shoot for the stars with a deal on something more expensive like a Razer laptop.
Razer Deathadder V2
First up with a big money-saving is Razer’s Deathadder V2, a product which is renowned among gaming mice – and for good reasons. This wired mouse benefits from top-notch ergonomics, and as we pointed out in our review of the Deathadder V2 – where it scored highly - the shape of the peripheral ensures that the gamer’s wrist is positioned at a more natural angle.
This makes it comfortable for long periods of use, and that means not just marathon gaming sessions, but that you can use the Deathadder V2 for your everyday work as well.
The Deathadder V2 is light, and moves smoothly across the mousepad, benefiting from Razer’s Speedflex cable, a lightweight cord that glides over any surface with minimal drag. This ensures an overall better feel when moving the mouse, particularly with those big sweeps you might need to make for quick swivel turns in, say, a shooter.
Razer has also armed the Deathadder V2 with optical mouse switches so that button presses register lightning fast: some three times faster than a traditional mechanical switch, in fact. Furthermore, the gaming mouse is graced with an optical sensor rated at 20K DPI that can be adjusted on-the-fly using sensitivity selector buttons.
This is a great all-rounder gaming mouse that can be equally at home when being used for everyday work, too, and a serious bargain with Razer’s hefty Black Friday discount.
Barracuda X
(Image credit: Razer)
Razer’s Barracuda X is a 4-in-1 headset, meaning that this wireless peripheral can be used with four platforms: the PC, along with Sony PlayStation, Nintendo Switch, and also Android devices on the mobile front. Simply plug in the companion USB-C dongle to any of the aforementioned hardware and you can hook up the Barracuda wirelessly and start gaming (or indeed listening to music, or whatever else you might need high-quality audio for).
The Barracuda’s high-end sound comes from the Razer TriForce 40mm titanium drivers it packs, and this headset can deliver 7.1 surround sound and even supports PlayStation 5's Tempest 3D AudioTech.
Comfort is crucial with a headset, too, and the Barracuda X offers memory foam ear cushions, plus it’s seriously light (250g) and ergonomically designed to ensure that it’s very comfy to wear for extended gaming sessions.
Other notable features include a detachable HyperClear Cardioid mic which offers impressive levels of clarity (and passive noise cancellation), plus convenient on-headset controls, and a battery life of 20 hours means you can keep going all day long with this headset.
In our review, we found that overall the Barracuda X is a great piece of kit – one of the best headsets for gamers wanting multiplatform capability, no less – particularly given its affordable price. And of course with Razer’s current Black Friday offer, that price tag just became even more tempting.
BlackWidow V3
(Image credit: Razer)
Finally, Razer’s BlackWidow V3 is another well-known peripheral which has come down in price. It’s a mechanical gaming keyboard which boasts nifty RGB lighting, and gamers get a choice between two different Razer mechanical switches here: green or yellow. Green is what you want for a clicky and precise keypress action, whereas if you prefer a smooth and linear silent keypress with no tactile bump, it’s the yellow switches that you should plump for.
Whatever choice you make, Razer’s transparent switch housing makes for more intense Chroma RGB lighting, letting the potential 16.8 million colours and customizable effects shine all that much brighter.
The BlackWidow’s keycaps themselves are manufactured with a ‘doubleshot’ moulding process, basically meaning that the key lettering won’t wear off over time, and these keycaps also have thicker walls than normal to make them tougher and ensure more overall longevity (even at the hands of a key-mashing gamer). The keyboard chassis is robust as well, being fashioned from aluminium.
Support for your wrist is provided courtesy of the BlackWidow V3’s ergonomic wrist rest, relieving pressure on that joint, and there’s also a media key and multi-function roller combo which facilitates controls for media playback (volume, skip, pause), or brightness, and more.
The upshot is a flexible and sturdy mechanical gaming keyboard which looks the business and is made all the more compelling considering Razer’s fresh price cut for Black Friday.
As we mentioned at the outset, this trio of deals is just the tip of the discounting iceberg, and Black Friday week means a whole load of seriously enticing offers on Razer’s store running the gamut of gaming hardware – so get on over and grab yourself a bargain.
