Microsoft researchers have waited more than two years to obtain a patent that brings the ability to store data in DNA one step closer, a move that could make backup media such as tapes obsolete. The patent for high-density DNA storage with salt (#10793852) was filed in 2018, but did not receive USPTO approval until October 2020. It reads like a cooking recipe, referring to a dried product formed by " drying a saline solution with artificially synthesized DNA molecules that encode digital information". Apparently, the cations and anions involved do not influence the outcome of the process.
Saline solution?
Drying the DNA with salt prevents it from degrading too quickly; Microsoft researchers have found that removing the liquid reduces the rate of degradation by almost 70% compared to untreated DNA. Likewise, the dry product made up of DNA and a salt has a much higher DNA density, almost one third. Salt storage of DNA appears to be an interesting (albeit unlikely) candidate for long-term, high-density storage for archival purposes. Unsurprisingly, the patent is shy about lead times and storage capacity, which is understandable given how far we are from getting a product. The news comes days after Microsoft announced its alliance with Western Digital, the world's largest storage company, and a few others to launch the DNA Data Storage Alliance (DDSA). The initiative aims to standardize and promote the adoption of a possible future storage system based on DNA. Via StorageNewsletter