AtlasBase outlines DNA storage capsules with capacity up to 50 PB

AtlasBase is developing a DNA storage platform that could store up to 50 PB of data in a capsule, though the company has not provided evidence of commercial deployment or a history of operation.

Its Thalia platform combines semiconductor controls and biochemical processes to encode digital information in synthetic DNA. AtlasBase says its latest chip has 5.6 billion reaction sites, a 700-fold increase over earlier DNA synthesis technology. A 16nm CMOS layer sits beneath a biological section, where electrical pulses direct chemical reactions that add DNA bases.

The DNA strands can be dried and sealed in metal capsules designed to fit storage cartridges. AtlasBase says each capsule could hold between 1 TB and 50 PB, and a cartridge could accommodate 100 capsules. That would amount to a potential 100 TB to 5 EB per cartridge. The company says the molecular medium can remain usable for more than 1,000 years without continuous electricity, cooling or mechanical movement.

AtlasBase is also exploring calculations performed with DNA molecules, including optimization problems such as flight scheduling. It says the system can examine thousands or millions of candidate combinations concurrently. Retrieving stored material for computation can take minutes, while processing time depends on the application.

The company has begun early-access programmes for selected organizations and technology users. The source report says there is no operating history or commercial deployment evidence to establish how the technology compares with existing archival systems.