Atlas Eon 100 brings DNA data storage to long-term archives

Atlas Eon 100 promises to store up to 60 petabytes of data in a volume under a liter—Atlas Data Storage has introduced a commercial DNA-based archival service and says its solution is roughly 1,000 times denser than the LTO-10 tape standard. By their math, that equates to around 660,000 4K movies, and instead of racks of tape, the system relies on a compact set of modules with capsules roughly the size of a pill.

The concept may sound like science fiction, but the mechanics are straightforward: data is encoded not as magnetic tracks but as sequences of DNA letters (A, C, G, T). That DNA is then synthesized, sealed in protective capsules, and stored as a physical medium. Unlike familiar disks and tapes meant for quick, everyday access, this is a long-haul archive for what needs to be preserved almost indefinitely—cultural collections, rare source material, scientific datasets, or AI models.

Longevity is the headline pitch. The company says the capsules can retain recorded information for thousands of years without prophylactic refresh cycles and tolerate temperatures up to 40°C. By contrast, magnetic tape in the industry is typically refreshed on a regular schedule and kept under tightly controlled temperature and humidity. Atlas also noted that duplicating DNA archives could be simpler, since DNA replication is a well-established process in biotechnology.

Crucially, Eon 100 is not a home gadget you plug in over USB. Atlas is selling a service for organizations: for now, the company invites potential customers to get in touch via a form on its website, and pricing is not public. Its materials mention DNA synthesis partners such as Twist Bioscience, a name already associated with prominent DNA data storage projects.

Even if the figures impress, DNA storage won’t replace SSDs or cloud services anytime soon: writing and reading these archives is inherently complex and slow, so the technology is about safeguarding for the long term and retrieving infrequently. Still, the arrival of a commercial offer suggests DNA memory is edging out of the lab and probing a niche where density and durability matter most.