Protein-coated discs could enable 50TB capacities

We know that it shouldn't come as a shock anymore when researchers announce new storage technologies that promise to hold tantalizingly large amounts of data, but we were still pretty stoked to learn that a recent breakthrough at Harvard Medical School may eventually lead to DVD-size discs whose capacities approach an eye-popping 50TB. Unlike traditional optical or magnetic solutions, the disc developed by Professor V Renugopalakrishnan and his colleagues is coated with thousands of light-activated proteins called bacteriorhodopsin which are found in the membrane of a particular salt marsh microbe -- and which temporarily convert to a series of intermediate molecules when exposed to sunlight. That property allows the proteins to act as individual bits in a binary system, but since they have a tendency to return to their grounded state after mere hours or days, Renugopalakrishnan and his team modified the requisite microbes' DNA to produce proteins capable of maintaining that intermediary state for several years. Unfortunately we won't see this technology come to market anytime soon, and even when it does, 50TB capacities will still be a ways off, so it looks like we'll have to settle for those disappointing 200GB Blu-ray discs for the foreseeable future.

[Via Gotakon]

[Nukes and Candy @ Jul 12th 2006 10:08AM]

modifying DNA eh? It's come to that hasn't it. Bio-tech as they call it...

...something smells fishy about this....

[Tush @ Jul 12th 2006 10:11AM]

As the illustrious Sam Jackson would say,

"Hold on to your butts..."

[Gr1zz @ Jul 12th 2006 10:32AM]

Dont protein's break down pritty easely?

[Jeff @ Jul 12th 2006 10:39AM]

Cue jokes about increased capacity for downloading porn and "protein coated disks" in 5... 4... 3...

[saboola @ Jul 12th 2006 10:42AM]

bacteriorhodopsin-ray

[Ihar `Philips` Filipau @ Jul 12th 2006 10:44AM]

> eventually lead to DVD-size discs whose capacities approach an eye-popping 50TB.

Please please hear my voice. No more 5.25 disks please. I want to have future where disks really fit pocket of my jacket!

In other words, I'd rather have 3.5 disks with 25TB ;-)

[Uchiha Ichigo @ Jul 12th 2006 10:56AM]

"I, for one, welcome our new bacteriorhodopsin overlord"

-- bleach

[Wonderboy @ Jul 12th 2006 11:07AM]

They want to make HDD obsolete with this? That's kind of a stupid idea... Unless they can make these bio-discs have random access with multiple laser-heads it won't replace our hard drives... No matter how many Gigs they fit on a BD, I still won't want to have to boot and run my OS off of one.

They shouldn't be aiming for a 50TB dvd-type disc, they should be aiming for a 50TB per platter HDD with this technology. Regardless of how much info you cram onto a dvd-type disc, you're still looking at incredibly slow seek times and reaction rates with only one laser-head.

Besides, do they really expect to be able to protect against smudges and tiny scratches that will no doubt completely throw off the readability of nano-meter-sized "pits"?

[eRk @ Jul 12th 2006 11:13AM]

does anybody else think that image looks like a side view of Principal Skinner??

[AbbydonKrafts @ Jul 12th 2006 11:16AM]

I wonder what the environmental tolerances of that would be. Currently, CDs and DVDs can tolerate heat up to the melting point of the plastic. I'd think proteins would start cooking before that point. Also, as Ihar said, we'd be better off with smaller devices that held more (at least as far as consumers go). A large data center or such could benefit from that much data on one disk. That also brings up another issue: With all the data theft issues recently, it'd be much easier to tote an entire company's secrets out the door with one of those discs. Oh well. I currently only have 0.5TB of data total, so I'm in no rush to obtain those discs. :-)

[last @ Jul 12th 2006 11:40AM]

i don't get it...what wrong with blue ray...it ownd HD DVD's ass in capacity and over time price will drop. 200 GB sounds pretty good to me at the moment...more than many ppl's hard drives.

Soooo how is blue ray disappointing? is there something better than blue ray out there in the optical disc department that i am unaware of?

[PiNPOiNT @ Jul 12th 2006 11:53AM]

Once they modify this technology to use any type of protein and to a spray format, then i can put it on my monitor screen, i can accomplish 2 things at once. relieve stress AND increase my collection storage size of my porn.

[Gentile @ Jul 12th 2006 12:27PM]

Once upon a time in faraway India there lived two brothers, one named Sam, and one a professor named Tikki Tikki Tembo No Sarimbo Hari Kari Bushkie Perry Pem Do Hai Kai Pom Pom Nikki No Meeno Dom Barako. Or was it Professor V Renugopalakrishnan? Hmmm...

[Michael @ Jul 12th 2006 12:34PM]

Sam
"hey bob where you been these past few days"

Bob
"Remember that new windows disc you gave me, it had a virus"

Sam
"oh, sorry 'bout that one buddy. Didn't I tell you not to touch the bottom, must have forgot about that"

[Coolio @ Jul 12th 2006 12:40PM]

And we'll have to settle reading your disappointing news post. 200gb impresses me much more than erroneous biased blog entries on engadget =D

[emceay @ Jul 12th 2006 12:42PM]

Chaumers: "50TB Skinner!!!!"

[Irony @ Jul 12th 2006 1:05PM]

In other news, Sony announced official PS4 specs and pricing information today. Sony's Kaz Harai stated that it will not only play games, but be a complete media centre as well. Included with the PS4 is the ability to play Protein Disks.

Harai went on to say that the PS4 wouldn't be cheap, giving a ballpark price estimate of below one million dollars.

"We aren't too worried about the pricing though", commentend Harai "as this is a great deal for what you get. You get a protein disc player for only 999,999,999.99! Also, we know that the hardcore gaming market will buy whatever excriment we manage to squeeze out of our anuses so it's okz! LOL!"

[wako @ Jul 12th 2006 1:09PM]

Seems like great technology! However would be terrible to see when you pop in a disc 50 years later down the road only to see it not work because a piece of the disc started to biodegrade =P

[Eric @ Jul 12th 2006 1:10PM]

Coolio: Have you never heard of sarcasm? -__-

[Nukes and Candy @ Jul 12th 2006 1:29PM]

"...In other news, Sony announced official PS4 specs and pricing information today. Sony's Kaz Harai stated that it will not only play games, but be a complete media centre as well. Included with the PS4 is the ability to play Protein Disks.

"...You get a protein disc player for only 999,999,999.99! Also, we know that the hardcore gaming market will buy whatever excriment we manage to squeeze out of our anuses so it's okz! LOL!..."

HHAHAHAHAHAH!!! GREAT ADDITION!!!! The funniest comment yet!

[Johnson @ Jul 12th 2006 1:55PM]

This research is just a waste of time. I don't want any more DVD-type storage media, protein-based or otherwise. When in the world is the scientific community going to get with it? I want crystals!! Especially the cool green-glowing ones that I can put in my barn in my backyard for safe, secure storage. ;)

[Miggy @ Jul 12th 2006 2:06PM]

Interesting article, however your pic of "protein" (named "proteinpic.jpg") is actually a diagram of DNA, which is not a protein at all. It's a nucleic acid.

However, both protein and DNA are equally funny when applied to the protein-coated DVD of porn scenario. Cheers!

[Bobby Wasielewski @ Jul 12th 2006 2:09PM]

Optical media is trash. I've already phased it out of my life. It's too fragile and deteriorates extremely fast. We don't need better discs, we need a whole new media.

[ava @ Jul 12th 2006 2:16PM]

Size does matter!
3.5 - no bigger.
I am with you, Ihar...

[Pal @ Jul 12th 2006 3:00PM]

I'm always surprised that they reach the cap on pretty numbers. It's never 46TB or 52TB, but a perfect 50TB. I don't know about you, but I smell marketing strategy!

[DC @ Jul 12th 2006 3:03PM]

"...it looks like we'll have to settle for those disappointing 200GB Blu-ray discs for the foreseeable future."

Why not settle for Optware's 1 terabyte holographic disc?

http://www.engadget.com/2004/08/24/optwares-1tb-holographic-versatile-disc/

[the count @ Jul 13th 2006 1:43AM]

Hey irony
999,999,999.99 is 999 million which is not under one million learn how to count before you start dissing sony

[sdsdv10 @ Jul 13th 2006 5:26PM]

"So like.. umm.. if I take a DVD and squirt some of my love juice on it I will be able to burn 50 TB on it?"

Hey TechGuy (#5), sounds good to me. Give it a try and let us know how it works out...

[Debashish Bhattacharjee @ Feb 15th 2007 3:27AM]

Its interesting but sad at the same time.I thought of using it as a seminar topic but it seems too much research has not yet been done.Blog is nice anyway.So there is not much to talk about.