• Development of a new memory device combining DNA and electronics
• Device stores massive data efficiently while using very low power

Scientists at Penn State have developed a new memory device that integrates DNA with electronics, enabling the storage of enormous amounts of data using minimal energy, SciTechDaily reported.

This advance represents a major step toward more efficient devices for data centers and advanced computing.

DNA is known for its extraordinary data storage capacity, with just one gram able to hold around 215 million gigabytes, but the challenge was integrating it with electronic systems.

Researchers successfully combined synthetic DNA with crystalline perovskite semiconductors—used in solar cells, storage devices, and lasers—to create a new hybrid system.

Using this technology, the team built a device called a memristor, a type of smart resistor that can store and retrieve information even after power is cut, while consuming far less energy than conventional devices.

These devices mimic how neurons work in the brain, making them promising for future computing technologies such as artificial intelligence.

Researcher Bed Poudel explained that the new device uses 100 times less energy than traditional storage units while offering higher storage capacity, ideal for neuromorphic computing that processes complex, simultaneous data.

The innovation relies on adding fine silver nanoparticles to synthetic DNA sequences and combining them with thin perovskite layers to form channels that efficiently conduct electrical current.

The device remained stable at temperatures up to 120°C and operated for over six weeks at room temperature while consuming only a tenth of the power of comparable current devices.

Researcher Kavya Keremane emphasized that the combination of silver-treated DNA and perovskites provides extremely high storage density with low energy use, whereas neither material alone achieved similar results.

The team plans to further refine the technology and explore ways electronics can draw inspiration from nature to create smarter, more efficient devices.

Poudel added, “Nature has the solution; we just need to discover and apply it,” highlighting the enormous potential of future technologies integrating biology and electronics.