] "A message encoded as artificial DNA can be stored within
] the genomes of multiplying bacteria and then accurately
] retrieved, US scientists have shown.
]
] Their concern that all current ways of storing information,
] from paper to electronic memory, can easily be lost or
] destroyed prompted them to devise a new type of memory -
] within living organisms.
]
] "A big concern is the protection of valuable information in
] the case of a nuclear catastrophe," says information
] technologist Pak Chung Wong, of the Pacific Northwest
] National Laboratory in Washington State. The laboratory was
] set up as a nuclear energy research institute."

Hrm. I have a hard time buying the idea that this is really going to be useful in a nuclear catastrophe. However, these bacteria would make for one hell of a covert channel. Of course, the encoding/decoding process would have to be as automatic as possible, but imagine smuggling secrets in your belly button.

I still maintain that it is feasible that our own DNA already has messages encoded in it and the SETI people need to get to work on decoding it. :)

Storing information in DNA