DNA Card

2023: Product Announcement

In early December 2023, the French startup Biomemory announced the start of sales of the first DNA-based data storage devices - products called DNA Card. In the future, the technology is expected to create ultra-high density drives that can store information for hundreds of thousands of years.

DNA Card devices are comparable in size to conventional bank cards. The first version of DNA carriers has a capacity of only about 1 kilobyte: this is comparable to the text of a short email or long tweet. But despite the tiny capacity, the solution, according to Biomemory, represents the key to the future of information storage systems and demonstrates the "potential of molecular computing." In theory, just 1 gram of DNA could contain about 215,000 TB of data, equivalent to storing the entire Netflix library in a drop of liquid.

DNA Card

The Biomemory system works by converting digital information into nitrogenous bases that are part of nucleic acids: adenine (A), cytosine (C), guanine (G) and thymine (T). The resulting DNA thread is then dried and sealed in a card, which protects information from damage and ensures long-term storage - at least 150 years, according to Biomemory. The entire process of "writing" 1 a kilobyte of data takes about 8 hours.

DNA Card media are offered as paired kits for creating two copies of data. If it is necessary to "read" one of these cards is sent to a special laboratory. The decoding process involves rehydration of DNA and its subsequent sequencing. After retrieving the information, the medium becomes unusable for further use, which explains the need to create a copy of the DNA Card. The cost of a set of two as of the beginning of December 2023 is €1000.^[1]

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