Stanford Bioengineers Create Rewritable Digital Data Storage In DNA

Posted by timothy on Wednesday May 23, 2012 @05:19AM from the prior-art dept.

An anonymous reader writes "You don't hear too much about biological computing but in research published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, scientists reveal they have devised the genetic equivalent of a binary digit (full article, freely available) — a 'bit' in data parlance. 'It took us three years and 750 tries to make it work, but we finally did it,' according to Jerome Bonnet, of research which describes, a method for repeatedly encoding, storing and erasing digital data within the DNA of living cells."

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Re:Any word on effects by LordNicholas · 2012-05-23 05:36 · Score: 3, Insightful

Not if they're non-coding strings of DNA that aren't involved with gene expression.
2fer on viruses by CoderFool · 2012-05-23 06:08 · Score: 5, Insightful

This digital data storage could get both technological and biological viruses! I wonder what the crossover will be like... You thought bird flu jumping to pigs then humans was bad....