A digital storage device that is capable of storing huge amounts of data using the same method evolved by nature to write and read computer data. The device first converts computer binary data into a DNA sequence with the four-letter genetic alphabet of As, Cs, Gs, and Ts plus a digital barcode that records its location in the original file, and stores the information on a tiny glass chip with fragments of chemically synthesised DNA on its surface. A separate module then reads and decodes the information back into computer readable format.

Unlike the magnetic tape, which degrades within a decade, DNA is a hardy material that can last for tens of thousands of years. A DNA archive also requires no constant supply of electric power, as do hard disks.

Theoretically, a cupful of DNA can store up to 100 million hours of high definition video - equivalent to every film and TV programme ever created.

Scientists developed the DNA drive knowing that the genetic code packs billions of gigabytes into a single gram. It's also a robust way to store information because we can extract DNA from bones of ancient mammoths dating back tens of thousands of years, and make sense of it.