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Can DNA1 Be Used to Store the World’s Computer Data?
The need to store more and more computer information is rising across the world.
存储越来越多的计算机信息的需求在全球各地不断增加。
Several companies now say they are exploring a possible solution: they propose using genetic2 material, DNA, to store data.
现在，多家公司表示，他们正在探索可能的解决方案：他们建议使用遗传物质DNA来存储数据。
The demand
需求
The technology research company International Data Corporation, or IDC, has predicted a huge increase in total worldwide data in the coming years. IDC estimated this growth in measurements of zettabytes. A zettabyte is equal to one billion terabytes, another measure of computer information storage. It would take one billion one-terabyte (1TB) hard drives to hold one zettabyte. IDC predicted world data demand will grow from 33 zettabytes in 2018 to 175 zettabytes by 2025.
科技研究公司国际数据公司（简称IDC）预测，未来几年全球数据总流量将大幅增长。国际数据公司估计，这一增长要用泽字节（简称ZB）来测量。泽字节等于10亿太字节（简称TB），太字节也是计算机信息存储容量单位。存储1ZB数据需要10亿个1TB硬盘。国际数据公司预测，全球数据需求将从2018年的33ZB增长到2025年的175ZB。
Such growth is expected to create a big need to increase data storage in the future. A recent World Economic Forum3 (WEF) report predicted that the world is “about to have a serious data-storage problem that will only become more severe over time.”
未来，这种增长速度将创造提高数据存储的巨大需求。世界经济论坛（简称WEF）近期发表的报告预测，全球“将出现严重的数据存储问题，而且随着时间的推移，这一问题只会越来越严重。”
DNA as storage method
将DNA用作存储方法
DNA stands for deoxyribonucleic acid. It is the substance that carries genetic information in the cells of living things.
DNA是脱氧核糖核酸的缩写。DNA指生命体细胞内携带遗传信息的物质。
Developers say one of the main reasons DNA would be good for data storage is because of its great density4. Experts have estimated DNA systems could store one billion times the amount of data held in traditional electronic devices of comparable size.
开发人员表示，DNA的高密度是其利于数据存储的主要原因。专家估计，DNA系统可以存储的数据量是传统电子设备的10亿倍。
Information about living things is stored in DNA using four different kinds of molecules5. They can be represented by the letter codes A, T, C and G. Researchers have discovered that data can also be stored within DNA in the sequences of these letters. Electronic devices, however, store information in a two-letter code that produces combinations of ones and zeroes.
生物体信息通过四种不同分子存储在DNA中。这些分子分别用字母A、T、C和G来代表。研究人员发现，数据可以用这些字母序列存储在DNA内。而电子设备则用1和0组成的两字代码来存储信息。
How DNA storage works
DNA存储的工作原理
For DNA storage to succeed, digital information has to be converted to DNA storage and then back to digital data.
要实现DNA存储，数字信息必须先转换成DNA存储，再转换回数字数据。
One company working on DNA storage development is American software maker6 Microsoft. The company announced earlier this year that it had demonstrated the first “fully automated7” DNA storage system.
美国软件制造商微软是致力于DNA存储开发的其中一家公司。微软在今年年初宣布，该公司演示了首个“全自动”DNA存储系统。
Researchers from Microsoft and the University of Washington discussed their results in a paper in Nature Scientific Reports. The research team reported it had successfully encoded the word “hello” in pieces of DNA and converted it back to digital data. A chemical process is used to get the DNA into a storage device.
微软和华盛顿大学的研究人员在《自然科学报告》期刊上发文，介绍了他们的研究成果。研究团队报告称，他们已经成功地在DNA片段中对单词“你好”进行了编码，并将其转换回数字数据。研究人员使用化学处理方法将DNA变成存储设备。
Microsoft said the information is stored in DNA molecules created in a laboratory, not DNA from humans or other living things. The company said its goal is to further develop the DNA storage to operate in a similar way to current cloud storage systems.
微软公司表示，用于存储信息的DNA分子是在实验室中创建出来的，而不是人类或其他生物的DNA。微软表示，其目标是进一步开发DNA存储，继而以相似的方法来操作当前的云存储系统。
Microsoft said not only can DNA storage systems store more data, they can hold data for much longer periods of time. For example, DNA samples from the ancient bones of animals and humans have proven that the material can last thousands of years in harsh conditions.
微软指出，DNA存储系统不仅能储存更多数据，还能延长数据存储时间。举例来说，古代动物和人类骨骼的DNA样本证明，DNA可以在恶劣环境中保存数千年。
Microsoft said the team had demonstrated its DNA system could store photographs, written documents and audio and video material. Those materials were then successfully re-collected from the DNA without errors, the company reported.
微软表示，研究团队证实，其DNA系统可以存储照片、书面文件、音频和视频材料。微软报告称，这些材料之后可以成功地从DNA中重新收集，而且没有错误。
Another U.S. company, Catalog, said it also has successfully created a process that uses artificial DNA to store digital information.
另一家美国公司Catalog宣布，该公司也成功地创建了使用人造DNA存储数字信息的进程。
The company recently announced that it had encoded the English version of the Wikipedia website into DNA molecules. The total amount of data was 16 gigabytes, Catalog said. The company said the process was completed using a “DNA data writer” that operates in a similar way to a printer.
Catalog公司近期宣布，他们在DNA分子中编码了英语版的维基百科网站。Catalog表示，总数据量为16吉字节。该公司称，这一过程通过“DNA数据定入”程序完成，该程序与打印机的操作方法类似。
Experts from the World Economic Forum have praised recent developments in DNA storage technologies. But the organization says much more work needs to be completed before DNA storage systems can effectively compete with electronic ones. Currently, the systems are costly8 and processing times can be very long.
世界经济论坛的专家称赞了DNA存储技术近来所取得的发展。但是世界经济论坛同时指出，在DNA存储系统能够与电子存储系统进行有效竞争之前，还有更多工作需要完成。目前，DNA存储系统成本昂贵，而且处理时间可能会很长。
Words in This Story
hard drive – n. the part of a computer that stores large amounts of information
density – n. the number of things in a place when compared to the size of the place
sequence – n. a series of related things that appear in a particular order
convert – v. to change the appearance or form of something
automated – adj. something that is controlled by itself
cloud storage – n. a way to store and regularly access computer data on multiple servers through the internet
artificial – adj. not real or natural
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1
DNA
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| (缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸 | |
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genetic
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| adj.遗传的，遗传学的 | |
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forum
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| n.论坛，讨论会 | |
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density
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| n.密集，密度，浓度 | |
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molecules
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| 分子( molecule的名词复数 ) | |
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maker
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| n.制造者，制造商 | |
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automated
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| a.自动化的 | |
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costly
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| adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的 | |
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