British scientists have preserved the complete human genome on a 5D memory crystal, which they believe will provide a blueprint to bring humanity back from extinction thousands of years in future.
The team from the University of Southampton’s Optoelectronics Research Centre (ORC) stated that the data storage format that can last for millions of years can also save the genomes of endangered species of plants and animals.
The university, in a statement, also mentioned that even at high temperatures, a 5D memory card can store up to 360 terabytes of data without losing any information for billions of years. “The crystal is equivalent to fused quartz, one of the most chemically and thermally durable materials on Earth,” the statement read.
In 2014, the 5D memory card was recognised as the most durable data storage medium and won the Guinness World Record.
“It can withstand the high and low extremes of freezing, fire and temperatures of up to 1,000 Celsius. The crystal can also withstand direct impact force of up to 10 tons per cm2 and is unchanged by long exposure to cosmic radiation,” the university stated.
The team at University of Southampton, led by Professor Peter Kazansky, employed ultrafast lasers to properly engrave data onto nano-structured gaps oriented within silica.
“Unlike marking only on the surface of a 2D piece of paper or magnetic tape, this method of encoding uses two optical dimensions and three spatial co-ordinates to write throughout the material – hence the ‘5D’ in its name,” the statement read.
However, the genetic information alone cannot currently be used to synthetically produce humans, animals, or plants. Professor Kazansky believes that the 5D crystal is long-lasting, and the knowledge would be accessible if certain advancements were accomplished.
“We know from the work of others that genetic material of simple organisms can be synthesised and used in an existing cell to create a viable living specimen in a lab. The 5D memory crystal opens up possibilities for other researchers to build an everlasting repository of genomic information from which complex organisms like plants and animals might be restored should science in the future allow,” he added.
(With inputs from agencies)