With DNA recognized as the densest known storage medium in the universe, researchers believe the laws of physics can be applied to use DNA as an operational, near-timeless storage system.

The process involves converting binary digital data into DNA string bases that could be stored in wet media until needed and then decoded back into binary. Not only can a single gram of DNA hold about a zettabyte of data, but DNA strands can last for thousands of years.

At this juncture, the chemical processing costs to manufacture DNA strands, as well as current slow speeds of the binary conversion, stands as the largest impediment to implementation.