First published: 30th April 2007
Scientists funded by the U.S. Department of Energy have demonstrated information storage by humans on bacterial genomes. Information storage on DNA is, of course, well–known … coding for the proteins required to build an organism is DNA’s function in living organisms. The large storage capacity and information replication abilities of DNA are also well–known. The scientists have demonstrated that it is possible to code arbitrary information (a short phrase) into DNA, and retrieve it later. This is not surprising, DNA synthesis is a well–known technique, and DNA sequencing is nowadays routine; both are currently used for genetic engineering experiments with far greater practical application.
Pak Wong, lead scientist on the project, suggested a scenario where “all critical information” could be coded on radiation–resistant bacteria, then, in the event of a devastating nuclear disaster, relief teams could retrieve the information from the bacteria on arrival. This does not address some important questions about the data retrieval:
- Why didn't the disaster recovery plan include storage of the critical information with the relief teams?
- If all other copies of the critical information were destroyed, where were the instructions on how to build a functioning DNA sequencer stored?
- Why would the intelligent descendants of cockroaches millions of years in the future have the slightest interest in the “critical information” stored on the bacteria?