The Atlas Eon 100 has been revealed, and it’s unlike anything else in the storage market. Atlas Data Storage claims it can preserve your files for millennia using synthetic DNA.
Atlas Eon 100 encodes data into synthetic DNA
At the heart of the Atlas Eon 100 is dehydrated synthetic DNA, a medium capable of holding massive amounts of data in microscopic form. It doesn’t use any magnetic, plastic, or metal parts that decay over time. Instead, it relies on how nature stores information down to the molecule.
Atlas says DNA can survive thousands of years under the right conditions. Researchers even extracted and decoded genetic material from 4,000‑year‑old human remains. By adapting that resilience, the company wants to give digital data the same longevity.
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Conventional storage media break down quickly
Why does this matter? Most common storage formats degrade within decades, sometimes even sooner. Here’s how they stack up:
- Hard drives (1–10 years): Prone to mechanical failure and density limitations
- Optical discs (1–25 years): Vulnerable to sunlight and material decay
- Flash memory (1–10 years): Suffers from electron migration over time
- Magnetic tape (10–50 years): Degrades with temperature and humidity shifts
In contrast, DNA-based storage remains chemically stable for centuries potentially longer, if properly stored.
Atlas Eon 100 boasts extreme density and durability
According to Atlas, the Atlas Eon 100 offers data density up to 1,000 times greater than magnetic tape. The company claims a reliability rating of 99.99999999999 percent. That’s not a typo, it’s eleven nines.
But it’s not just about the numbers. More importantly, the Eon 100 is built to withstand electromagnetic pulses (EMPs) one of the most damaging threats to modern electronics. While traditional drives could fail instantly, this storage medium, by contrast, remains unaffected.
DNA storage still faces unproven timelines
Still, no DNA-based system has existed long enough to truly prove thousand-year longevity in practice. While ancient DNA can survive under rare archaeological conditions, replicating that stability in modern storage environments will be the true test.
Atlas knows this, and it plans to present more findings at this week’s Association of Moving Image Archivists conference.
The Atlas Eon 100 could mark a shift in archival thinking
If the Atlas Eon 100 performs as promised, it won’t just extend digital lifespans—instead, it could compel archivists, researchers, and data centers to completely rethink how they preserve history. Ultimately, time will serve as the final benchmark.
