Chinese Scientists develop DNA Cassette Tape for Long-Term Data Storage

Scientists in China have developed a “DNA Cassette Tape,” a synthetic DNA-based storage medium capable of holding hundreds of thousands of terabytes of data and preserving it for up to 20,000 years.

the technology converts digital data into DNA base sequences and stores it on a plastic tape. This allows data to be read and managed like a modern file system using a cassette player-like device.

While not yet ready for mass use due to high production costs and slow data access speeds, the DNA Cassette Tape is considered a promising long-term archival solution in an era of data explosion and artificial intelligence.

This new storage technology can store billions of songs, tens of billions of photos, and various other digital files in a compact device. The “DNA Cassette Tape” is a long plastic ribbon coated with synthetic DNA that stores digital data.

Stored at freezing temperatures (0 degrees Celsius), the device can preserve data for up to 20,000 years.