Mad scientists at Harvard encode GIF into bacteria DNA

Science fiction

Harvard scientists were able to encode a GIF of a galloping horse into the DNA of living cells, creating a man-made "biological recording."

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Harvard scientists were able to encode a GIF of a galloping horse into the DNA of living cells, creating a man-made "biological recording."

Click through to see science fiction technology that ... more Image 1 of / 20 Caption Close Mad scientists at Harvard encode GIF into bacteria DNA 1 / 20 Back to Gallery

Make way Blu-rays, movies can now be stored on DNA.

Harvard scientists recently inserted bits of information — a grainy photo of a hand and a GIF of a galloping horse — into the genetic code of bacteria. Then, scientists managed to retrieve the biological recording and piece it back together with 90 percent accuracy.

The ground-breaking achievement was made possible using "CRISPR," a complicated genome editing tool that scientists believe could one day treat HIV, remove Malaria from mosquitoes and even cure cancer.

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"This work demonstrates that this system can capture and stably store practical amounts of real data within the genomes of populations of living cells," detailed the study, which was published in the journal Nature. "By combining the principles of information storage in DNA with DNA-capture systems capable of functioning in living cells, we can create living organisms that capture, store, and propagate information over time."

In an interview with Wired, researcher Jeff Nivala said the real goal behind the study is to one day "enable cells to gather information about themselves and to store it in their genome for us to look at later," almost like a biological flash drive genetic scientists can use to understand how and why certain cells do the things they do.

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Also of note, the GIF of the galloping horse that is now floating around in the DNA of some E. coli cells is from one of the earliest films ever called "The Horse in Motion," made by Eadweard Muybridge in 1872.

According to the BBC, the old movie is perfect because it represents the type of complex information scientist want to be able to use in the future.

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