2020 IASA - FIAT/IFTA Joint Conference

It is projected that by 2025, humanity will have outgrown our capacity to store the large volumes of data we create. In just 5 years, storing data using spinning or solid-state disk drives will no longer be sustainable, economically viable or environmentally responsible.

DNA storage has the potential to vastly exceed capacity for writing disk and tape, but with dramatically smaller physical space, energy requirements and greatly increased stability. This is the first time two renowned international institutions, the International Olympic Committee and the National Film and Sound Archive of Australia, have used DNA to store video data and it is a world-first for Archives.

In this exciting presentation, which also provides insights on how this partnership fosters collaboration, connecting and transformation, Yasmin Meichtry, Head of Heritage at the Olympic Foundation of Culture and Heritage and Jan Müller, CEO of the NFSA will demonstrate the potential of DNA as an archival storage mechanism. The presentation follows the joint pilot of how to store a video on DNA. The chosen video represents a significant moment in both Australian and Olympic history: Cathy Freeman’s gold winning 400 meters run at the Sydney 2000 Olympics. A meaningful and appropriate part of both the IOC’s and NFSA’s archives - defining the culture and values of Australia and the Olympics.

Step by step, in this talk the IOC and NFSA will present the nature and background of the partnership, the process of synthesizing and preserving on DNA (in collaboration with a technology partner and university) and eventually: show how a digitally preserved video on DNA looks like.