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Bacterial computing, conceptual artwork. Escherichia coli bacteria (centre) with binary code data (zeros and ones). This image represents the use of bacteria for computing purposes. E. coli has been investigated as a medium for storing and encrypting data in bacterial DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Bacterial biostorage systems could hold vast amounts of data, and the concept could also be used to create biological barcodes. (KEYSTONE/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY/VICTOR HABBICK VISIONS/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY)