#6 Deeptech Analysed - DNA is revolutionizing the way we store information & Exploring the Latest Innovations in Solar Technology
What's happening this week? 12/12/2022 - 18/12/2022
DNA could store all of the world’s information
By Eden Djanashvili, Deeptech Expert
What is going on?
The volume of data produced by internet, digital devices, IOT, blockchain and metaverse continues to increase aggressively. Companies are finding themselves in a challenging position: where to store all the data? Hard disk drives and solid state drives are good alternatives in holding and supplying quantities of data to our everyday devices however, they aren't well-suited to store big amounts of information for long periods of time. As for magnetic tapes, they have the lowest cost per capacity but data can only be accessed serially making it hard to locate specific files and avoid data loss. In order to solve the data storage crisis, researchers are looking for new durable storage methods. One technology stands out: DNA storage.
What does it mean?
DNA is itself a four-letter code for passing along information about an organism. It is made from four types of bases identified by a letter: adenine (A), thymine (T), guanine (G) and cytosine (C). DNA data storage is the process of encoding and decoding binary data onto and, from synthesized strands of DNA. To store data in DNA, the chemical process consists of the following:
First, the original digital data is encoded by converting zeros and ones into the four buildings of DNA: A, G, C and T.
Then, the data is synthesized using a chemical and biological process with the following: 00 becomes A; 01 becomes G, 10 becomes C and 11 becomes T.
Finally, the DNA sequence is written and stored.
When the stored data is needed again, the DNA molecules are sequenced to reveal each indivudal letter (A, G, C, T) in order to remapped the DNA bases to ones and zeros.
Why does it matter?
💸For markets: A new investment opportunity is coming ahead …
Compared to current traditional storage systems, DNA outperforms in its capability to store lots of information in small volumes. It is potentially less expensive, biodegradable, and easily replicable. It doesn't require high levels of maintenance and it is more energy-efficient making it more environmentally-friendly. Not to mention that it can last for thousands of years in the right conditions. However, even though the technology seems promising, it will take between 8 to 10 years to be commercially available. Today, there are still a number of technological hurdles to overcome. Some of the main issues concern cost and speed. To prevent degradation, DNA requires a very specific climate, which can be both difficult and costly to maintain. Specifically, DNA either needs to be kept at exceedingly low temperatures or exposed to carefully controlled airflow. Using current techniques, the process of writing data to DNA is also extremely time-consuming when compared with other technologies. Reading the data stored in DNA poses a challenge too. The error rates while writing to molecular storage with DNA synthesis are high.
🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻For society: … which can bring a fresh start to companies …
The data storage crisis will come to a head in the next half decade. If the technological ecosystem doesn't catch up in time, the consequences could be decisive. For instance, companies will need to work with incomplete datasets and suffer more important cyberattacks whereas consumers will see their older data and posts deleted to make room for fresh content (i.e. Google announced it will start to delete data attached to its services from inactive accounts for 2 years or more).
🔮What’s next? … but with some hurdles to overcome first.
Even though DNA storage is attracting the governments and investment worlds, the technology is still in its infancy with challenges in almost every stage of the process: from encoding to synthesis to sequencing. The lack of policies and standards need also to be addressed to ensure the operability of DNA storage technologies. There are some activities being made to improve the technology such as Biomemory which is developping a petrol-free DNA synthesis that can produce long, bio-sourced, biocompatible and bio-secure DNA fragments that can be stored as inert polymers for thousands of years without any energy input. Twist Bioscience company which develops a method of increasing DNA synthesis by using a silicon platform that miniaturizes the chemistry required. The US Office of the Director of National Intelligence launched the Molecular Information Sotrage program with the goal of developing DNA technologies capable of writing 1TB and reading 10TB within 24 hours at less than $1,000. Other alternatives are been considered too. Researchers from Microsoft are looking for other data storage possibilities such as using lasers to etch data into quartz glass or, storing data in hologram form inside crystals. Storing data in DNA might be the more fruitful alternative but, technology, investment and policies might align to make it commercially available at a large scale.
Can your solar panel repair itself?
By Ryan Armstrong, Ambassador
What is going on?
The solar family is characterised by 4 different generation levels:
1st Generation: Silicon. Thick cells.
2nd generation: Alternatives to silicon. Thin cells.
3rd generation: Alternatives to the alternatives: organic polymers, quantum dots, nanocrystaline films
4th generation: Combinations of organic and inorganic materials
The following research conducted at the University of York explains how solar panels might be able to repair itself if they are made with antimony selenide. Antimony selenide and its cousin, antimony trisulfied, are two materials used in "Second Generation Solar" that could improve the lifetime productive capacity of solar energy production. But when it comes to solar tech, that's just one drop of sunlight: industry expects have already hailed the 3rd and even the 4th generation of solar technology.
What does it mean?
Developments in solar technology will continue to drive production costs down, increase the performance of solar panels themselves, and, hopefully, make using solar even more affordable. New technologies like the use of alternatives to the standard silicon, like antimony selenide, improve crucial aspects of solar panel performance. They can extend solar panel lifetimes, and therefore increase the lifetime energy output. Right now, solar panels are meant to last 25 to 30 years before they need replacing. With new generation technology, that could be extended far, far longer. Likewise, new technology is steadily increasing energy efficiency, the amount of the sun's energy a panel can successfully "capture". Many of these materials also weigh substantially less than 1st generation materials, making them less costly to transport, another substantial source of energy costs for solar panels.
Why does it matter?
💸For Markets: solar energy as a promising actor.
In the race to find clean energy and avert climate disaster, solar remains the most promising protagonist. But despite rapidly increasing sales, solar represents a rather underwhelming 4% of energy production globally, and in some countries, far less (https://www.eia.gov/tools/faqs/faq.php?id=427&t=3). The new generations of solar will eventually make it more affordable, and therefore we can expect an increasing percentage of total production. However, there are still challenges to be overcome. The new materials differ in their stability, resilience, and other characteristics that relate to how easily they can be produced and what environmental impacts they have (https://www.ossila.com/en-eu/pages/organic-photovoltaics-vs-2nd-gen-solar-cell-tech). As it stands, the new generations of solar still involve substantial trade-offs. For example, one of the most efficient materials, Copper Indium Gallium Selenide (CIGS), is not currently feasible to produce at scale because Indium supply is limited. Our friend antimony selenide is widely available in nature, but takes a lot of energy to produce.
🧑🏿🤝🧑🏻For Society:
For society, increased affordability of solar could eventually allow us to maintain an energy-intensive society without the threat of immanent climate disaster offered by our current reliance on fossil fuels. Additionally, because panels cater to individual households (as opposed to, say, a nuclear reactor) solar energy can help promote energy equality by providing renewable energy to everyone.
🔮What’s next? More diversification and better performance!
Solar technology is developing quickly, and it is difficult to predict how the market will evolve in the next decade. For now, 1st generation technologies dominate and have by far the highest energy efficiency, up to 47%! We can make two likely predictions based on current trends. First, the market will further diversify, so that the range of solar products available increases to meet varied demands, from the day-to-day user powering their house to high-end use for outer space that requires durability, efficiency, and minimal weight and space. Second, even if we cannot predict which of the technologies will actually make it to the market, we can expect significant improvements in solar performance in the next decade