DNA is the building block of life, but in the future it may also be the standard repository for encyclopedias, music and other digital data. Scientists announced yesterday that they successfully converted 739 kilobytes of hard drive data in genetic code and then retrieved the content with 100 percent accuracy.
研究人员首先将著名的文化亮点、1963年马丁路德金“我有一个梦想”演讲、莎翁154首十四行诗、沃森和克里克关于描述DNA双螺旋结构原始研究论文转化为一连串的0与1的二进制代码储存在硬盘中。研究人员制定了一个能将二进制代码翻译为一个由A、C、G、T组成的字符串代替，他们利用这些遗传代码合成实际嵌入了上述内容结构完整的DNA链中。
The researchers began with the computer files from some notable cultural highlights: an audio recording of MLK Jr.’s 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech, all 154 of Shakespeare’s sonnets, and, appropriately, a copy of Watson and Crick’s original research paper describing DNA’s double helix structure. On a hard drive, these files are stored as a series of zeros and ones. The researchers worked out a system to translate the binary code into one with four characters instead: A, C, G and T. They used this genetic code to synthesize actual strands of DNA with the content embedded in its very structure.
根据发布在周三的《自然》杂志上的研究结果，其输出结果相当出众，仅仅一小段几乎看不见的材料沉淀在测试管底部，当研究人员进行逆过程时较好率显著提升，研究人员将大数据量DNA基因组排列好，并将其翻译为0/1代码，结果毫无错误地重新还原了数据。
The ouput was actually pretty unimpressive: just a smidgeon of stuff barely visible at the bottom of a test tube. The wow factor arose when they reversed the process. The researchers sequenced the genome of the data-laden DNA and translated it back into zeros and ones. The result was a re-creation of the original content without a single error, according to the results published in Nature on Wednesday.
第一点：它能密集打包数据，研究人员称一克重的DNA能存储的数据比百万张CD碟都要多。
So what does DNA offer that other data storage methods don’t? One, it can pack data really densely. A single gram of DNA holds more than a million CDs, according to the researchers. Two, DNA lasts a really long time in a range of conditions. It is not nearly as sensitive or fragile as existing data centers. Three, DNA has a reputation for safely storing information: Itholds the history of all life on Earth, a tough resumé to top.
第二点：在各种条件下DNA存储的数据保存时间都很长，它不像现有的数据存储核心那么敏感脆弱。
This is not the first time DNA has been used to store data, but the latest iteration is far more efficient, accurate and scale-able than its predecessors. The method would be especially useful for archives that need to be stored long-term without frequent access, acting as an emergency backup rather than a practical replacement for your flash drive.
这不是第一次用DNA存储数据，但其最新迭代效率大幅提高，准确性、规模远比以往大幅提高，该方法作为紧急备用而不是作为闪存的替代品特别适用于需要长期存储无需频繁访问的档案存储。
The thing holding the technology back at this point is the cost. Sequencing and especially synthesizing the DNA is a pricey process, but like most new technologies, it is getting cheaper fast. The researchers say DNA data storage could be a large-scale solution as soon as 2023.
这项技术的唯一瓶颈就是费用问题，测序、合成DNA是个昂贵的过程，但像其他最新技术一样，这项技术变得越来越便宜，研究人员成最快到2023年DNA数据存储会被广泛利用
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