Today we store a huge amount of information in many kinds of storage such as DVD, Hard Disk, paper etc. Some of them are easy to be corrupted. A team of researcher proposed a new method of storing information that use molecules as a information carrier. They relied on techniques common in organic and analytical chemistry, and developed an approach that uses small, low molecular weight molecules to encode information.
Link to the article
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/05/190501081949.htm
Please answer some questions about this article
1.
What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
2.
Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
3.
In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
4.
What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
Hi,
ReplyDeletemany thanks for interesting topic.
The prons of molecules used to store information are:
- stability - the molecules could endure without light or oxygen, in high heat and drought,
- no energy requirements,
- corruption resistance - unlike the cloud, the molecular storage can only be accessed in person,
- long-term archival possibilities.
As for the cons, first of all this is the price (as custom-made they are expensive), and capacity of their molecular storage with different classes of molecules.
This method will not replace other tools, at least at the moment now. It is considered to be complementary to those technologies. But the filing system offers an alternative to biological storage tools like DNA.
As for practical usage, in my opinion the molecules-storing can be useful, first of all, in chemistry industry, at least at this stage of this method development.
Storage devices of this kind are very labour-intensive and expensive to manufacture. Because of the huge cost of this method, only really precious information is worth storing in molecules. The method can be helpful in storing the most sensitive, secret information, by the government or spy agencies.
br, marta
Thank you for your response. I'm glad that you find this topic interesting. I agree with you that this method won't replace other tools. I think you are right that it will be an alternative to other biological storage tools. We will see what future will bring.
Delete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteThe advantages of using molecules to store information are:
- efficiency. One gram of DNA can store up to 1 billion terabytes of information. This is a large amount of data in such a small unit of storage.
- durability of data storage. The data could be storage in the DNA thousands of year. If the data is storaged in temperature about 0F, it is possible to storage for even longer.
- safety. The data stored using molecular units are resistant to hacker activities.
The disadvantages of using molecules to store information are:
-high price. Encoding data in DNA are very expansive and for example: the encoding something similar to Wikipedia would cost billions of dollars.
-slowness. Encoding data in DNA requires the physical manipulation of molecules which takes more time than computer queries so it makes the solution based on DNA very slow.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
In my opinion the method of using molecules to store information will not replace other methods in our time but I hope that the mentioned method will be more available in the further future . People are used to storing the data in the standard way by using hard drives, for example. Most of people think that if the solution is proven, there is no reason to change it. The mentioned method is very expensive and slow for now. The biggest advantage of this method is possibility to store data for very long time so maybe one day the scientists will make this method more available.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
I think that this method can be helpful for example: in IT, medical industry and for the state. The IT industry required to store a lot of data. Some of data are very important and they are sometimes confidential. Moreover the problem of hackers is of big concern for IT and this method allows to protect data from the hackers. The similar situation is for medical industry. The data storage allows to do some analysis over time. The state also wants to store data in the way that nobody is able to steal them.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
I think that the confidential and precious data are worth to be stored in molecules. I gave the examples above. Additionally I suppose that the data which can be used in further analysis might be stored in molecules.
Thank you for your response. I agree with you that high price is a disadvantageous. Maybe in the nearest future the price will be cheaper. You are right that for now on this method won't replace other methods and only precious data is worth to be stored in molecules.
Delete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteThe advantages and disadvantages were mainly written by the friends above. Therefore, I will not duplicate information that we can find on the Internet. Unless one of the PJATK students participates in the research, let them write something like that.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
At present, this method isn't likely to replace the currently used ones. Due to the defects listed above - mainly the price. Of course there are people who pay all the money for the security of their information, but the average Kowalski doesn't belong to them.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
IT yes, biology, chemistry, medicine, state security. Only these recipients will now be able to benefit from molecular memory banks.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
Valuable! Maybe the chemical composition of the cancer drug? Access code for long-range missiles? Those that we did not want to lose.
Thank you for your response
Delete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteThe pros are:
- long-term and stable data storage,
- no energy needed to storage data,
- very small storage space,
- slight storage requirements,
- increased security: no hacking or data corruption.
The cons are:
- relatively slow data writing and reading,
- high price,
- no remote access to information.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
It’s possible. Molecular storage is a very good option. It seems to be a new technology for near future. Replaced technologies are quickly becoming a thing of the past (for example floppy disks).
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
I think that all industries that are dealing with either a large amount of data or secret data storage will benefit from this technology. It is explained by the advantages of this technology: very small storage space, slight storage requirements and no energy needed to storage data (especially when it comes to maintain the servers with huge archives). Data security results (as for now) from the difficult access to molecules.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
It doesn’t matter. Presented technology uses the molecular-binary code so every information can be stored. On the other hand, it will be worth keeping archives to which access will be rather rare.
Thank you for your response. I agree with you in point 2. I think the same. Maybe in the further the write and read speed will be better.
DeletePlease answer some questions about this article
ReplyDelete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
I'm very suprised that that idea could be true! Of course the pros are huge amount of data which can be saved in small pieces of molecules and the permanence of such recording. Cons are of course the cost and...algorithm for handling that data. How to searching information in molecules? That change all nowadays way of thinking about data storing!
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
If the price will be aacceptable...for sure.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
I can't imagine,ale I think that if this technology will be something obvious like nowadays SSD disk then it would be extremely easy to save everything, every data which people will be produce. All information from social media, all emails around the world, everything saved without any compression.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
Enormous...I think that becouse of that data the scientists trying to find new methods like this from article.
Thank you for your response. I agree with you about the price. Maybe in the future the price will be lower. I was also surprised when I found this article about this technology. I never heard about this method of storing information.
DeleteHi,
ReplyDeletethe usage of molecules in the context of data storage is a very interesting subject indeed!
1. What are the pros and cons of using molecules to store information?
To starting with pros: it has stabilities of hundreds or thousands of years under suitable conditions and requires no energy to store data during the time. However, it is relatively slow and costly.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
I think that it will not, however it is a pretty interesting subject to study- just to see how we can manipulate the abstract data on the Petri dish :)
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
I think that this kind of research could be helpful in DNA research, but it would be just a side effect.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
In my opinion, this kind, which needs very large redundancy.
Thank you for your response. Probably you are right that this method won't replace other methods. I think it could be an optional method to storing information. I agree with you that the cost using this method is too high and this method is slow.
DeleteSo according to the article molecules are much more durable than conventional data storage media. But at the same time it takes a long time to write and read data from it.
ReplyDeleteI think it could be used to archive data that we know we probably won't be using too often or never but for some reason we must store them. For example it could be all television programs, so anthropologists in the year 4000 can study our culture.
Than you for your response
Delete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteFor me, using the bottom to store data in this way is a downside. DNA is able to survive for a very long time, but only in specific conditions. Additionally, DNA does not exist in pure form. It is packed on so-called histones which are proteins and which are degraded! There are also other accompanying enzymes. And most importantly, DNA is terribly susceptible to UV and ionizing radiation, also these "hard drives" would have to be in some kind of protective panels. In addition, the half-life of DNA is only 512 years. So let's keep losing data actively all the time. Reading data from such a carrier is associated with the destruction of the threads (sequencing) and thus the loss of the original sequence = data. Even if we would do the sequencing of one thread to keep the data for 2 threads, still the reconstruction of the complementary thread to the one retained is connected with the use of a completely different apparatus and technique.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
In my opinion, the development of technology does not allow for such a record. In addition, such a record has too many drawbacks. And most importantly. This is the kind of memory we have in our brains. I wouldn't like to have such a storage medium, which forgets as quickly as mine.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
I think that this potential can be used to build and model an artificial brain. So far, research has led to significant progress in understanding the structure and functioning of the cortex and subcortical areas of the brain, but the brain stem is still one of the least known regulatory systems of the human body.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
Thanks to replication, which is a process in which a double strand of DNA is copied. Replication is semiconservative: in each of the two double threads obtained, there will be one mother thread and one new thread. Apart from the low probability of error, both DNA molecules will be identical. We can pass on the information to future generations.
Thank you for your interesting opinion. You mentioned about DNA but this article isn't about DNA. It's another method that use smaller and stable molecules than DNA, RNA etc.
Delete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteThanks for the interesting article. It is quite suprising that molecules can store the same data we have on our computers. The pros of using molecules are:
- they are cheap to store
- safe as there is no remote access
- they can store lorge amount of data no using a lot of phisical space
- the data saved in this way can be store for a hundred years
Cons are:
- slow writing and reading process
- expensive
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
I don't think so. So far this method is no better than current ones. I don't think it will become even popular as it has some special requirements, unless it become cheaper and more available.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
I think it may help to store some data that is not read often and has to be maintain for a very long. For exapmle I can imagine that some types of archives may use this method as a backup of their data.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
As I said everything that has to be stored for a long time and do not need remote access.
Thank you for your response. I'm glad that you like this topic. I was as surprised as you when I found this article. I agree with you that this method won't replace existing methods.
Delete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteI have to say, I'm personally interested in this subject. Of course, the advantages are a huge density of data packed in DNA and a high stability and insusceptibility to attacks to which electronics is currently susceptible. The disadvantage now is the price of such a solution and the fact that all these processes are not perfect yet. If the reading is relatively cheap, the writing of such data is by several orders of magnitude larger.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
At the current level of advancement, this is not yet possible. However, with the development of sequencing and DNA synthesis technologies, such a solution may become easier and cheaper to apply. I think, however, that it will not be implemented on the consumer market, but only for business users, e.g. to store backups of the most important data.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
For all companies that use large amounts of data. I think especially for huge technological giants such as Amazon, Google and Facebook to store copies of their data in the most packed form.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
At the moment it is so expensive and inconvenient to use that only the most important data for the whole humanity can be stored in molecules. It can now be treated as a curiosity and a possibility to record the time capsule of humanity.
Thank you for your response. I'm glad that this topic interested you. You are right that the price is an disadvantages. Maybe that will be changing in the future. I hope that will happen because this method is very interesting and has many advantages. I agree with you in point 3 and 4.
DeleteThank you for an interesting topic and article. It was really informative and inspired me to do some further research with regards to this field of science.
ReplyDelete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
As previous speakers, stated above the most obvious advtanges of using molecules to store information are: their efficiency, durability of data storage, corruption resistance, lack of energy requirements. The most important disadvantage that will not be so easy to oversome is high price.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
If it doesn't become cheaper with time, it will not replace other methods of storing information. I do hope that in the future it will become more accessible, as in my opinion it's a really great solution.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
The first thing that comes to my mind are medical industry, universities and of course IT industry. Those are branches that require a lot of space when it comes to data storage.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
I think the most crucial and confidential data.
Thank you for your response. I'm glad that this article inspired you. I agree with you that the price is high and that is the problem. Maybe using different molecules eg. alkanethiols could this price lower. We will see what the future will bring. Regards
DeleteHi Piotr,
ReplyDeleteThank you for interesting article to discuss, below are my answers:
1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
In my opinion the biggest advantage of molecular wise store data is it resilient to external damage, Molecule can survive extreme conditions, that would damage most of well-known data container. The second most important is high capacity of this new storage that makes it really competitive. From the cons perspective you can’t gain access to this data through internet to process it in a way that most of business work today.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
I don’t think that this method will overtake others way of data storing, but for some use cases it might be the best solutions, a specially when we are facing a great amount of data that need to be archived.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
From what I see the biggest advantages of this method is size conversion ratio. Taking this in to consideration I think that industries that are facing with a lot of data to be archived will benefit the most from this solution.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
I would say that everything that we want to pass to future generation. Due to the fact that for now this is the most time resilient method.
Hi Klara,
DeleteThank you for your response. I agree with you in all points.
Regards Piotr
1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteMain pro is information density. Authors also claim its durability, but "in controlled conditions". Disadvantage is slow read and write (writes can be parallelized, but time till given information is stored is still the same.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
No, I don't think so. For popular usage, the error rate of 99.9% is way too big, and we need fast writes and reads, without complex machinery.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
It would make good store for root signing keys, like for DNSSEC: the signing ceremony would be even more spectacular. There would need to be many redundant copies of keys to ensure it can be read back. The very slow write rate (8 bps for now) is a deal-breaker for most applications.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
I think small pieces that does not need to be accessed frequently, but for this plain old QR-code printed on paper or etched in metal would be simpler and probably more reliable.
1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDelete+ high efficency - you can store Terabytes of data per 1 gram of DNA
+ 0 energy consumption - of course to set up stable environment we will need to spend some energy, but this is much less comparing to current storages
- currently it is rather expensive solution
- no cloud access to data
- slow writing
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
I think ths solution in current form have rather really specific use cases, so I dont think it will become our main data storage technology. But if we want to sent humans to Mars with our whole knowledge this sound slike a really good solution.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
I believe this could be a good solution for archiving. If you need store huge amaount of data and you are not using it very frequently then this technology sounds like a perfect solution, currently not cheap, but easy to store everything without having giant data center.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
In current prize I believe nothing is worth to store in molecules, but when this solution will become cheaper then I think that our whole knowledge we shoul store in molecules for next generations or if we die as a species for some aliens the can one day visit our devastated planet.
1. The advantages are undoubtedly high data storage capacity, high durability of the medium and no need to supply power to such a carrier. The disadvantage of most innovative things is the high price. Also, the low speed of read and write operations seems to be a big problem compared to current data carriers.
ReplyDelete2. I doubt it. Currently, this method is very expensive and complicated. I do not think that along with its development it would become a publicly available means of data storage. Current methods of data storage are cheap, common and have the ability to store more and more data. I think that this technology will be used more quickly in the military than in everyday use.
3. In places that needs to store a million peta-bytes of data, i.e. by big companies such as Google or Facebook. But also in astrophysics to store huge amounts of data about star location, etc. I still have a picture in my head how many hard disks were used to store the data needed to generate the image of a black hole. https://www.extremetech.com/extreme/289423-it-took-half-a-ton-of-hard-drives-to-store-eht-black-hole-image-data
4. All valuable. The results of important medical, physical and chemical discoveries. Such, which will be useful in further research, but for which constant access is not needed. This carrier seems ideal for time capsules. The carrier that will last for centuries and is able to fit the entire history of mankind.
1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeletePros:
- durable data
- low energy needs related to storing the data
- small physical storage needed
Cons:
It is far from commercial use so i presume actual cons would be resolved till market ready solution
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
It is really hard to say. Need for data storage solutions seems to drive the market and there is for sure space for new products os we will see what future could bring.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
All industries that have big need for storing data would be interested in such technology.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
I think this does not matter, data itself does not affect the way how those could be stored.
ReplyDelete1.The main pro is of course size of data storage. The proposed Oligopeptides are smaller then DNA.
And also storing data operations seems to be easier and cheaper to prepare. Another advantage is durability of data(hundred of years or even thousands).
Cons are slow writing and reading operations( 8 / 20 bits per second ) and the need for physical access to data during such process.
2.No, this method will not replace other methods of storing information because of cons I mentioned above. Like authors said, this method is well suited for long-term archival data storage but not for common usage.
3. Right now I think it’s a great solution for data which you don’t have to change a lot. For example I can use this method to store EEG data from my experiments which take a lot of space on disc and I don’t need to change them after calculations. And also this data and my results - which are stored on Oligopeptides and have stabilities of hundreds or thousands of years - can be used for another scientist in next centuries.
4. Maybe this method will be cheap, ( authors said about 1 cent for 10 MB) so you can store on it everything you want. But we can imagine some natural disaster, or asteroid kills entire human populations. Knowledge which has been collected by human should be store on such of storage for our offsprings just in case.
1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
ReplyDeleteThe advantages of data storage in molecules are primarily the particle capacity and safety of these data. The more important disadvantages are the costliness of the operation and the time of data recording and reading.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
I believe that this will be possible in the future, but for now it is a distant future. Even if there are huge successes, the price will remain prohibitive. The data storage time also leaves a lot to be desired.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
In my opinion, the storage of data in molecules may prove particularly useful in medicine, due to the confidentiality of data and their analysis. Important state data can also be stored in a similar way. Data relevant for a given company that will be able to afford such an expensive way of storing information.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
I believe that in such an expensive way of storing information should be stored sensitive, confidential (in a word, important) and not only for the state, but also for expensive research projects, scientific data. In the future, we may be able to receive passwords, PIN codes for ATM cards or other payment methods.
Yesterday I have tried to log in into PJATK e-mail but without success, so I couldn't post my comment on time.
ReplyDelete1. What are the pros and cons using molecules to store information?
One of the main advantages is the place, that is, the reduction of space and the large amount that can be placed there.
One of the main disadvantages is that this method has not been tested for a longer period of time and it is not known how long the data recorded in this form survives the time probe. As is the case with any information recording technology, we will see it only in a while.
2. Will this method replace other methods of storing information?
I think that this method has a chance to replace some of the currently used methods of data storage, but as always in IT there is the application of a specific technology for a given solution depends on what assumptions this solution has for the end user.
3. In what industries this method can be helpful and why?
It seems to me that it is especially good for IT applications, where the surface on which information is recorded is of great importance, eg in the future this technology will be able to be used in nanobots that can examine / treat the human body.
4. What kind of information is worth storing in molecules?
As in the previous question, it depends on the specific application case. In this case, each solution in which the surface of the subscription will matter, i.e. as in the case of nanobots, will be able to find application there.