DNA Data Storage Alliance

2020: Creation of alliance for development of storage systems of DNA

In the middle of November, 2020 it became known that Microsoft created alliance which participants will be engaged in development of storage systems of DNA. It is supposed that through joint efforts the DNA Data Storage Alliance organization will make a revolution in methods of storage of the vital records in the long term.

On development of solutions for data storage of DNA Microsoft and also Twist Bioscience, Illumina and Western Digital are among founders of alliance. The Twist Bioscience company for many years cooperates with Microsoft and the University of Washington in the projects directed to use of synthetic DNA for data storage.

Microsoft created alliance for development of storage systems of DNA

Microsoft Research and Laboratory of the molecular information systems UW (Molecular Information Systems Lab) already provided fully automatic system of storage and data retrieval on the basis of DNA. Together with Twist they showed that their system can store gigabyte of data in archive on the basis of DNA.

We are inspired by a possibility of steadier data storage using DNA, and we hope for cooperation with other industry members for studying of early commercialization of this technology, - the chief researcher of Microsoft said in Karin Strauss's press release.

In addition to founders of alliance among its participants the following companies and educational structures: Ansa Biotechnologies, Catalog, The Claude Nobs Foundation, DNA Script, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Molecular Information Systems Lab (UW), Molecular Assemblies, Imec, ETH Zurich.

The alliance is going to develop the industry road map for ensuring interaction between the DNA different systems and also formation of a basis of a profitable commercial ecosystem for archiving on the basis of DNA. Participants also intend to develop specific scenarios of use of the innovative technologies for the different markets.^[1]

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