Change in the world with pocket-sized DNA-based computers by 2030

We first met Catalog, one of the first companies in the field of DNA-based storage, in October 2020, and interviewed David Turek, the CEO of IBM, one of the greats. About a year later, the company unveiled its $ 35 million B-Series platform. The platform, led by Hamwha and in collaboration with several other companies, was introduced as the first computing platform to manage data and perform computations using synthetic DNA. So it’s time to do another interview with the CEO.

What about Shannon? What has happened since the last time you interviewed Dave Turek?

Over the past year, CATALOG has been active in several different areas in the field of information technology. In addition, in other fields such as energy, media and entertainment, it has worked closely with several other companies to gain popularity and achieve its advertising goals. Following this, the company has succeeded in discovering the wide application of its platform in the industrial sector as well as the global demand for DNA-based computing. The company’s initial plans, which we can now talk about, include digital signal processing, such as seismic processing in the energy sector, and comparing databases, such as rumor prevention and identity management in the financial industry.

Shannon is now almost like ENIAC in its generation: slow, expensive, bulky, and limited

The Shannon project proved to be accessible to storage equipment as well as DNA-based computing. That’s why building the Shannon project is so important just for that. As we get closer to the future, you will see that the dimensions of the devices are getting smaller and more portable. Their speed and efficiency also increase. So it is to be expected that by 2030, pocket-sized versions of Shannon project DNA-based computers will be available that will save the world.

DNA-based computing is usually associated with sorting data, Catalog wants to convert DNA into algorithms, but now?

By DNA we mean the transfer and encryption of some data in a new way. For example, we have two very large numeric inputs, multiplying them to produce a new integer that was not present in the previous file, this output shows the combination of two different data. We believe that with the help of DNA-controlled chemical assemblies, we can generate encrypted data.

For example, with this method we will be able to solve difficult problems in the best possible way (that is, we will get the best, smallest and fastest data in financial, logical and production problems). We can also use this method in signal processing used in the oil and gas industry. The good thing about using artificial DNA to calculate is that it works at a very high level of parallel efficiency, meaning that billions and billions of artificial intelligence agents can be used to solve problems. By 2030, DNA-based Pocket PCs are expected to be introduced that could save the world.

Another area of ​​our interest is search. We can use chemical approaches to find data as quickly as possible and convert it into encrypted data in the form of independent DNA. This means that by increasing the amount of data we are looking for, we can use chemical search techniques that are basically direct from the amount of data so that the time to solve problems remains somewhat constant.

This is something that is not seen in electronic applications and equipment today, and the reason is that DNA is a collection of independent molecules that work in a floating manner without the need for physical organization like electronic components. In synthetic DNA, all molecules are floating in a liquid and can be searched directly. This saves time and reduces costs.

What does it mean to say that DNA-based Pocket PCs will be introduced by 2030?

CATALOG is said to increase the value of using synthetic DNA in large-scale computing among various businesses by next year. It is likely that the value of analyzing data previously stored on cold storage equipment will be determined. We expect that by 2024 we will be able to enable the use of this technology for users through web services and also consider the possibility of building miniature devices with the ability to process based on customer assumptions for the future.

Current examples of DNA-based storage equipment are in the form of orange tubes, what will their dimensions and shape be in the future?

DNA-based storage devices are composed of floating molecules in a single liquid, which in the sample made by CATALOG is orange because of the inks used to encrypt the data. Liquid storage can be very useful, as it allows you to find files in files directly, and we can create search engines that find the data directly after entering the file.

Last year, CATALOG was asked a question, how much does this method cost? Do we have an answer to this question that we can announce? How much storage capacity is discussed in this technology? Is our scale petabytes or terabytes?

The first case for commercially constructed DNA-based storage equipment and then DNA-based processors will likely be provided as a service. The price and cost required for this technology will be announced shortly before its final release. The goal is for the technology to cost about the same as usual. But its value can be determined by dramatically improving the density, infinite lifespan and avoiding wear and tear of the technology. The DNA written today will be readable at any other time today and will never change. Therefore, there will be no particular concern about operating system changes and systems upgrades.

What are the biggest obstacles to the rapid development of DNA-based storage and computing equipment right now, and what has been done to address them?

Obstacles are now engineering in nature and focus on issues that customers consistently value over any computing technology. For example, issues such as reliability, performance and price, and availability and stability. We have assembled a dedicated team of engineers, chemists, and computer scientists who regularly review and evaluate each of these issues. Team activities include downsizing existing devices, expanding automation, and designing and implementing software infrastructure and tools for customers.

What solutions are currently being explored to solve the empowerment problem?

The current power features of the Shannon project to help CATALOG better understand the limiting effects of design choices on devices include our comparative chemistry concepts and cryptographic and computational models. We can adjust the output power by changing some performance parameters on the current system, which will have a multiplier effect on increasing power. But we have also started to offer other selected projects that can go much further. For example, adding incremental inkjet printheads can have a significant effect on machine power. This is just one example of some of the projects being discussed for technology development.

Do you think the future depends on DNA-based systems, and can this technology save the world by 2030? Be sure to share your views with us.