Programmable Bio-Chips Arrive: DNA Storage Costs Drop to $0.01 per Terabyte

Israeli data storage company BioArchive released its third-generation programmable bio-chip "Helix-3" in December, reducing the cost of DNA data storage to just $0.01 per terabyte — two orders of magnitude lower than traditional mechanical hard drives.

Helix-3 works by encoding digital data into DNA base sequences (A, T, G, C), then encapsulating synthesized DNA molecules in inert glass microspheres via microfluidic chips. A single fingernail-sized chip can store 1PB (1,000TB) of data with a theoretical preservation lifespan exceeding 1,000 years.

"Data centers consume 3% of global electricity, while DNA storage uses virtually none," BioArchive CEO Yossi Cohen said in an interview. "This isn't an incremental improvement — it's a paradigm shift in storage."

The main limitation of Helix-3 remains read/write speed — writing 1TB of data takes approximately 4 hours, and reading takes 2 hours. This makes it better suited for cold data archiving rather than hot data access. Microsoft Research and Backblaze have become the first enterprise customers.

Notably, DNA storage technology also introduces new security challenges. Since DNA molecules can be read by biology laboratories, traditional encryption methods may no longer apply. BioArchive is collaborating with the Technion – Israel Institute of Technology to develop physical encryption based on DNA folding structures.

Global data volume is projected to reach 175ZB by 2030, and existing storage media face raw material shortages and energy consumption pressures. DNA storage is regarded as one of the most promising long-term solutions.