1 Gram E. coli

The researchers from Hong Kong has found a way to store data in bacterial DNA. Apparently, bacteria that are used as samples, the bacteria E. coli capable of storing up to 900 thousand gigabytes or 900 terabytes of data.
In early trials, as quoted from the i09, 15 December 2010, researchers encode a short message into a vector together with two repetitions are reversed.

Then, the researchers designed a primer that has been targeted messages are encoded in both the normal orientation or in addition to the orientation that has been reversed.

Both sets of primers can be used to generate product PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction). This indicates that the message was encoded is present in the messages that have been recombined and in normal form. Repetition test results also confirm the accuracy of the relevant PCR product.

Opportunities from the use of biotechnology itself is extraordinary. Researchers found that one gram of bacteria E. sek coli capable of storing up to 900 thousand gigabytes or 900 terabytes of data. That is, bacteria capable of storing nearly 500 times more than today's largest hard disk.

For example, a desktop computer hard disk capacity of 1.5 terabytes today generally have a weight weighing 1 kilogram. If the disk was made of bacteria, hence its capacity to 900 petabytes.

Then, whether using the bacterium E. coli to store data not potentially cause illness?

No need to worry. Researchers have discovered a series of non-virulent bacteria. Bacteria E. coli used was designed in such a way that only serves to save the data on DNA and to reproduce, and DNA that are used do not encode proteins that potentially dangerous.