# Bacteria used for data-storage.
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share
**Created:** [January 9, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602 "2003-01-09T21:12:36Z")
**Posts on this page:** 9
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Larry\_Mudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Mudd)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2003, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/1 "2003-01-09T21:12:36Z")
Neat! Some mad scientists have successfully [used genetic engineering to encode data](http://www.newscientist.com/news/news.jsp?id=ns99993243) into the DNA of _e coli_ and _deinococcus radiodurans_. So far, only a very small amount of data, (appropriately, the lyrics to _It’s a Small World_,) but still, it’s a brilliant idea-- A data-storage medium that backs _itself_ up.
(And I like the idea of such a sacharinne song being encoded into ass-cooties.)
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### Author:  [@Demo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Demo)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/2 "2003-01-09T21:52:27Z")
Sometimes I think, without _e coli_, no scientific progress would be made. You ever notice it’s _always_ e coli?
😉
Very, very cool though.
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### Author:  [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/3 "2003-01-09T22:17:22Z")
Gives “core dump” a whole new meaning.
DH
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### Author:  [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2003, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/4 "2003-01-09T22:36:22Z")
The more amazing thing would be if after hundreds of generations the bacteria evolved to the point where it now held the lyrics to Smells Like Teen Spirit.
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### Author:  [@MEBuckner](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MEBuckner)
#### Post date: [January 9, 2003, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/5 "2003-01-09T23:08:02Z")
Hey, now “computer bug” could be a _good_ thing.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2003, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/6 "2003-01-10T01:53:39Z")
I’m scared to ask how the data is retrieved.
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### Author:  [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2003, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/7 "2003-01-10T17:06:53Z")
This has me thinking:
The Canadian top court just declared DNA unpatentable. So you copy Windows XP to a baterium, ship it to Canada, make a few billion copies, and ship it all over the world. Maybe make huge numbers and release it into the wild. Then anybody can get a pirated copy of XP for free, bankrupt Bill Gates. The World is a Better Place. Yipee.
(Well, I can dream…)
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### Author:  [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2003, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/8 "2003-01-10T17:32:18Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by ftg \*
> **So you copy Windows XP to a baterium**
Note to self: steal this idea for SciFi/Horror/End of the world movie plot.
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### Author:  [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)
#### Post date: [January 10, 2003, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/bacteria-used-for-data-storage/147602/9 "2003-01-10T18:23:39Z")
> [@](#):
>
> So you copy Windows XP to a bacterium…
Another example of ‘junk’ DNA? 😃