Researchers at the University of Southampton (Soton) have encoded the entire human genome onto a “5D memory crystal,” a highly durable storage device that could preserve vital biological data for billions of years.

Soton scientists used ultra-fast lasers to etch the approximately 3 billion base pairs of human DNA onto a nanostructured glass disc capable of storing up to 360 terabytes.

Inspired by the Voyager mission’s Golden Records – two phonograph records containing sounds and images reflecting the multitudes of life on Earth – the crystal holds the Guinness World Record for durability: it can withstand extreme temperatures, cosmic radiation and physical pressure, making it a perfect long-term data archive.

The record – now stored in Austria’s Memory of Mankind archive, situated inside a salt cave in Hallstatt – includes a visual key for future users, outlining the DNA structure and essential elements needed to potentially recreate humans.

Although current technology cannot synthesise humans from this data, the Soton team believes future advances in synthetic biology could make it possible to recreate complex organisms, including humans, plants and animals.

Project lead, Professor Peter Kazansky, noted the crystal’s potential use for biodiversity conservation, medical research and even personalised healthcare in the future. The technology could provide a blueprint to restore extinct species or preserve genetic data for upcoming generations.

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