Fullt funksjonell DNA-basert datalagring mulig med nylig prestasjon

I dagens hyperdigitale verden er alle virksomheter avhengige av data. Mengden forretningsdata vokser raskt, spesielt med fremveksten av avanserte teknologier som dataanalyse, Internet of Things (IoT), og AI, som begge genererer og bruker enorme mengder data.

Disse dataene er potensielt viktige, og det er kritisk, nå mer enn noen gang, å sikre dem på en effektiv, pålitelig og trygg måte. For å lagre data trenger du lagringsløsninger som effektivt kan få tilgang til, organisere, administrere, dele og bruke viktig informasjon.

Selv om datamaskinen din har lagringskapasitet, er den begrenset og lagret på en enhet, så den kan kun brukes mens enheten er på og forblir der til den blir slettet. For å lagre dataene dine på lang sikt, trenger du datalagringsløsninger.

Lagringsenhetene er hovedsakelig delt inn i to grupper:

• Direkte område lagring (DAS)
• Nettverksbasert lagring

DAS er direkte koblet til den datamaskinen som får tilgang til den, og selv om den kan tilby anstendige lokale sikkerhetskopieringstjenester, er deling ganske begrenset. Enheter i denne kategorien inkluderer disketter, flash‑drives og optiske plater som CD‑er og DVD‑er. 

Nå er nettverksbasert lagring det alternativet som best brukes for datadeling og samarbeid, siden det tillater flere datamaskiner å få tilgang til data via et nettverk. Nettverksbaserte lagringsoppsett er primært av to typer: nettverkstilkoblet lagring (NAS) og lagringsområde‑nettverk (SAN). 

NAS innebærer en enhet koblet til et nettverk. Her blir datalagring og gjenfinning gjort fra et sentralisert sted. Dette rimelige nettverkslagringsalternativet gjør det mulig for flere brukere å lagre og dele filer over et TCP/IP‑nettverk via Wi‑Fi eller en kabel.

SAN er et spesialisert, høyhastighetsnettverk som kobler delte lagringsbassenger til flere servere. Det involverer flere enheter av ulike typer, som inkluderer:

En solid‑state‑disk (SSD) er en type harddisk som er raskere enn tradisjonelle som bruker flash‑minne, og flash‑drives, som er elektronikk‑baserte alternativer hvor data kan oppdateres ved sletting eller skriving. Hybridlagring, på den annen side, innebærer en blanding av ulike lagringstyper: flash‑lagring, SSD‑er og mekaniske harddisker (HDD‑er).

Skylagring er en annen kostnadseffektiv og skalerbar metode fordi data lagres virtuelt og dermed krever tilgang til Internett eller et privat nettverk. Hybrid‑skylagring bruker ulike skyer – offentlige, private og hybride – for ulike arbeidsbelastninger. 

Utvikling av ny teknologi for å lagre digitale data mer effektivt 

Til tross for alle disse alternativene søker verden mer effektive løsninger i møte med et digitalt univers som forventes å legge til omtrent 175 zettabyte data årlig innen 2025. En voksende gruppe forskere argumenterer nå for DNA som et stabilt og bærekraftig alternativ for å møte dette behovet.

Allerede nå blir DNA utforsket for datalagring, selv om det fortsatt er i sine tidlige faser, med en markedsstørrelse på kun $70 millioner. Det er imidlertid anslått å vokse med en CAGR på mer enn 80 % innen 2032.

DNA‑datlagring er akkurat det navnet sier: lagring av digitale data i DNA (deoksyribonukleinsyre), molekylet som bærer genetisk informasjon for en organismes utvikling og funksjon. 

For å lage DNA kombineres fire forskjellige nukleotider—Adenin (A), Cytosin (C), Guanin (G) og Tymin (T)—for å danne en dobbel heliksstruktur, hvor to sammenkoblede tråder vikles rundt hverandre.

Når data lagres i DNA, blir de binære dataene kodet i syntetiserte DNA‑strenger og deretter dekodet fra dem. DNA er kjent for å være stabilt, tett og i stand til å vare lenge. Disse egenskapene gjør DNA til et attraktivt lagringsmedium. 

“Syntetisk DNA har potensial til å lagre flere størrelsesordener mer data enn dagens enheter, og på en måte som lover å bli mye mer bærekraftig.”

– Karin Strauss, Senior Principal Research Manager at Microsoft (MSFT ) Research

I tillegg til lagring har DNA også blitt utforsket for databehandling. I flere tiår har DNA‑databehandling vært gjenstand for forskning og utvikling på grunn av fordelene med skalerbarhet, holdbarhet og energieffektivitet, blant annet.

Back in 2019, researchers from Microsoft and the University of Washington unveiled the first fully automated system for storing and retrieving data using synthesized DNA. This involved encoding ‘hello’ in the molecules of synthetic DNA created in the lab and then converting it back.

Recent breakthroughs in molecular computing suggest we may even be able to run entire computer networks inside living cells in the near future. While DNA storage has actually been around for a while now, the new study showcases the first functional molecular computer capable of both storage and computing via DNA instead of using electricity.

Earlier this year, engineers at the University of Minnesota and Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) found a way to process data stored in DNA. This “microfluidic integrated circuit” is designed to operate via artificial neural network computations on data stored in DNA. According to paper co-author Amlan Ganguly:

“We are in the age of big data that needs to be stored somewhere.”

He also noted that building more data centers is not the answer because each one requires construction, maintenance, and operation, which is not sustainable.

This study proposed representing numbers through the concentrations of solutions containing specifically manipulated DNA molecules. This manipulation would represent computing operations such as addition, multiplication, and other nonlinear functions essential for performing network computations.

A couple of years ago, Mark Bathe, an MIT professor of biological engineering and his colleagues, also showcased a way to pick out the desired file from a mixture of many pieces of DNA. To do that, the researchers encapsulated each data file into a 6μm particle of silica, labeled with short DNA sequences that reveal the contents.

Kilde: MIT News

Discussing DNA’s vast potential to meet the soaring demands of storing massive amounts of data, Bathe noted its intriguing property of not consuming any energy once the DNA polymer is created. You simply write the DNA and store it indefinitely.

Researchers have even proposed using DNA’s stability and durability to encode digital data in order to secure and protect digital assets.

More researchers and organizations are investigating DNA’s potential for storing data and computation. The global data storage market currently stands at $217 bln and is forecasted to reach a whopping $777.98 bln by the end of this decade.

DNA-basert databehandlingsgjennombrudd revolusjonerer datalagring

In the latest study, published in Nature, researchers from Johns Hopkins University and North Carolina State University demonstrated a technology with data storage and computing functions using DNA instead of electronics.

This technology can repeatedly store, retrieve, compute, erase, or rewrite data. While previous DNA storage and computing tech have been able to perform some of these tasks, they couldn’t complete all of them.

“In conventional computing technologies, we take for granted that the ways data are stored and the way data are processed are compatible with each other.”

– Albert Keung, the study lead and an associate professor of chemical and biomolecular engineering at NC State

He also added:

“But in reality, data storage and data processing are done in separate parts of the computer, and modern computers are a network of complex technologies.” 

Given that DNA-based data is stored in the form of nucleic acids, DNA computing has been struggling with how to store, retrieve, and compute it.

What makes electronic computing attractive is that all the components of a device are compatible. But with DNA data storage, that’s not the case. While DNA-based data storage offers long-term benefits, it’s believed that developing a DNA technology that can cover the full range of operations that are found in traditional electronic devices would be either difficult or impossible to achieve. 

Now, the latest study demonstrates that these DNA-based technologies are actually “viable because we’ve made one.”

This was achieved with the help of recent techniques that have enabled the creation of soft polymer materials with unique morphologies. According to the co-corresponding author of the paper, Orlin Velev:

“Specifically, we have created polymer structures that we call dendricolloids — they start at the microscale but branch off from each other in a hierarchical way to create a network of nanoscale fibers.”  

In 2019, research from North Carolina State University showed that different polymers precipitated from solutions under special conditions can create unique, soft dendritic particle materials with distinct adhesive (like those of gecko feet, which allow them to stick to just about any surface) and structure-building properties.

At the time, Velev shared using ‘liquid’ nanomanufacturing to convert polymers into branched particles after dissolving the polymer and mixing the solution rapidly with another liquid. This rapid mixing in turbulent flow, an inherently chaotic process, created branched particles in hierarchical structures.

NC State also filed a patent on the soft dendritic materials as well as the process for creating them.

Now, for the DNA storage solution study, the structure they have created has a high surface area, allowing the researchers to deposit DNA among the nanofibrils. This was achieved without sacrificing the data density, making DNA attractive for data storage.

“You could put a thousand laptops’ worth of data into DNA-based storage that’s the same size as a pencil eraser.”

– Keung

The paper’s first author, Kevin Lin, a former Ph.D. student at NC State, stated that the ability to differentiate between DNA information and the nanofibers it’s stored on enables performing many of the same functions that one can with electronic devices. 

According to him, the DNA information can be copied directly from the surface of the material without harming the DNA itself. Besides the ability to erase targeted pieces of DNA and then rewrite them to the same surface, the study found that depositing DNA on the dendricolloid material actually helped preserve the DNA.

Velev noted that with the study, they are “providing the equivalent of microcircuits,” and the dendricolloidal material provides the circuit board.

This new DNA-based storage and computing technology, called a “primordial DNA store and compute engine,” is also capable of solving simple sudoku and 3 × 3 chess problems. Testing suggests that the technology could store data securely for thousands of years. On top of that, “the dendrocolloidal host material itself is relatively inexpensive and easy to fabricate,” as per Velev.

Selskaper involvert i DNA-datalagring og -databehandling 

Given the importance of data and the need for more efficient solutions, several companies are looking into DNA data storage, computing, and molecular technologies. For instance, Thermo Fisher Scientific (TMO ) (TMO) provides comprehensive solutions for DNA sequencing and molecular biology, while Agilent Technologies (A ) (A) focuses on DNA-based technologies, and Pacific Biosciences of California (PACB ) (PACB) specializes in long-read sequencing technology. Then there’s Helixworks Technologies, which has created programmable DNA data storage material to encode data files or small applications directly into an object’s molecular structure.

Now, we’ll take a more detailed look at two prominent names in this field. Both of these firms, along with Microsoft, Western Digital (WDC ), and several other member institutions, formed the DNA Data Storage Alliance (DTST ) . The alliance aims to address digital data growth by delivering a low-cost, sustainable archival data storage solution using DNA and exploring its early commercialization.

#1. Twist Bioscience Corporation 

This company specializes in synthetic DNA and heavily focuses on DNA data storage technologies. With a market cap of $2.57 billion, Twist Bioscience’s (TWST ) shares are currently trading at $43.98, up 19.32% YTD. Its EPS (TTM) is -3.81, and its P/E (TTM) is -11.53.

For Q2 of 2024, the company reported revenue of $75.3 million, which is an increase of 25% from the same quarter last year. Gross margin also increased to 41% compared to 31%. Meanwhile, about 193,000 genes were shipped during the period. $293.3 million was reported in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments.

“We remain steadfast and focused on our path to profitability.”

– CEO and Co-founder Emily M. Leproust, Ph.D.

#2. Illumina

This one is a leader in sequencing and array-based solutions, which are essential for DNA data processing and storage. With a market cap of $20.77 billion, Illumina’s shares are currently trading at $130.42, down 6.33% YTD. Its EPS (TTM) is -19.18, and its P/E (TTM) is -6.80.

For Q2 of 2024, the company reported revenue of $1.09 billion, down 6% from 2Q23. Its GAAP operating margin was 40.5%, and its non-GAAP operating margin was 22.2%. At the end of the quarter, $994 million was held in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments.

“The Illumina team delivered results ahead of our expectations in the quarter, driven by disciplined execution on our strategic priorities.”

– CEO Jacob Thaysen

Konklusjon

The growing digitalization of the world means digital data is poised for exponential growth. This explosion of data is set to far exceed the capacity of existing storage technology, driving the need to explore and adopt new solutions like DNA storage.

As the new study demonstrated, ongoing breakthroughs are making it possible to achieve a full suite of data storage and computing functions. These operations include storing data, moving data, and the ability to read, rewrite, erase, reload, or compute specific data files—all in programmable and repeatable ways without degrading the DNA.

DNA, a remarkable molecule found in every living cell, offers extremely high density, making it the perfect long-term storage solution (not just for hundreds but thousands of years). This points to its vast potential in transforming the world of storage and computing.

Klikk her for å lære hvordan manipulering av farge sentre i diamanter kan transformere datalagring.