Data storage is no longer limited to conventional media such as hard disks or smartphone internal memory, as China has introduced a unique approach by utilizing DNA as a storage medium.

This technology, known as DNA Cassette Tape, enables data to be stored within DNA strands integrated into a 100-meter-long plastic strip, with a capacity equivalent to storing up to 3 billion songs.

Researchers stated that a 1-kilometer tape could hold as much as 362,000 terabytes of data, or approximately 60 billion photos. This capacity far exceeds that of typical laptops, which usually store between 0.5 and 2 TB, as well as smartphones that generally offer 125 GB to 256 GB of storage.

In a study cited by Live Science on Wednesday (April 1, 2026), scientists explained that DNA has strong potential as a next-generation data storage medium due to its extremely high storage density.

They further noted that the spool-like configuration of DNA tape maximizes material space utilization, allowing storage capacity to be expanded simply by increasing the tape’s length.

According to the research team, DNA-based storage also offers exceptional durability, as the DNA strands are preserved within a metal-organic framework (MOF) that acts as a protective layer.

This system enables the storage tape to last more than 345 years at room temperature, and up to 20,000 years at 0 degrees Celsius. Additionally, if damaged, the tape can be repaired using transparent adhesive.

In operation, each segment of the tape is marked with a barcode indicating which files are stored within it.

A camera is installed in a device resembling a cassette player, which scans the tape as it moves between two rollers to locate specific files, then immerses the relevant section in an alkaline solution to release the DNA.

The extracted DNA can then be sequenced, and the resulting base sequences are translated back into readable file code.