A groundbreaking proof of concept showcases the compression of half a megabyte of data in a steel capsule resembling a bullet, demonstrating the potential of DNA storage technology. This innovative approach offers the capacity to store vast amounts of data in a compact and long-lasting form, with benefits such as reduced energy consumption, minimized space requirements, and enhanced data security. Despite ongoing advancements in the field, widespread adoption of DNA storage is still on the horizon, awaiting a significant breakthrough.

Recent developments include a credit-card-sized DNA storage device by Biomemory and the unveiling of specifications for storing bytes in DNA by the DNA Data Storage Alliance. In a recent milestone achievement, CATALOG, a company founded by MIT scientists, has successfully encoded the first commercially available book into DNA. Priced at $65, the book, a collaboration with Asimov Press, features essays and science fiction works and is stored in a steel DNA capsule holding around half a megabyte of data.

Each copy contains 240 pages of text encoded into 500,000 unique synthetic DNA molecules, ensuring long-term preservation by storing them as a dry powder under inert gas. The CEO of CATALOG, Hyunjun Park, emphasized the significance of this milestone in commercializing their DNA Storage and Computation technology, highlighting the energy-efficient nature of DNA computing as an appealing option for processing emerging workloads like AI. The steel capsule, the first commercial product encoded into DNA, is available for pre-order at $65, with a physical copy of the book available for $30 for those interested in reading its contents.