MIT researchers build tiny batteries with viruses

**40sondacurb** · 04-07-2006, 01:53 PM

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releas...-mrb040606.php

Quote:

MIT scientists have harnessed the construction talents of tiny viruses to build ultra-small "nanowire" structures for use in very thin lithium-ion batteries.

By manipulating a few genes inside these viruses, the team was able to coax the organisms to grow and self-assemble into a functional electronic device.

The goal of the work, led by MIT Professors Angela Belcher, Paula Hammond and Yet-Ming Chiang, is to create batteries that cram as much electrical energy into as small or lightweight a package as possible. The batteries they hope to build could range from the size of a grain of rice up to the size of existing hearing aid batteries.

Batteries consist of two opposite electrodes - an anode and cathode - separated by an electrolyte. In the current work, the MIT team used an intricate assembly process to create the anode.

Specifically, they manipulated the genes in a laboratory strain of a common virus, making the microbes collect exotic materials - cobalt oxide and gold. And because these viruses are negatively charged, they can be complexed between oppositely charged polymers to form thin, flexible sheets.

The result? A dense, virus-loaded film that serves as an anode.

A report on the work will appear in the April 7 issue of Science.

Just when everything is going portable and wireless they come up with stuff like this.

**JeremyC** · 04-07-2006, 02:29 PM

Its about time those Viruses started paying me back...........and I dont mean getting sick.

sinclair_tm · 04-08-2006, 12:04 AM

now not only will using cell phones give you cancer, but also the common cold.

ebackhus · 04-10-2006, 12:39 PM

If they introduce batteris like this for computing, will that be a whole new type of virus? OH NOES!!

**Glaswegian** · 04-10-2006, 02:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ebackhus

If they introduce batteris like this for computing, will that be a whole new type of virus? OH NOES!!

I don't know who writes your jokes, but I would sack them.

04-07-2006, 02:29 PM	#2 (permalink)
JeremyC Resident Alchemist Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Virginia Posts: 1,126 OS: SuSE 10.0/XP Pro	Its about time those Viruses started paying me back...........and I dont mean getting sick. __________________

04-10-2006, 12:39 PM	#4 (permalink)
ebackhus Manager, Design Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: SATX Posts: 12,762 OS: WinXP Pro SP3 My System Blog Entries: 25	If they introduce batteris like this for computing, will that be a whole new type of virus? OH NOES!! __________________ ----------------------------- There are no dumb questions, unless a customer is asking them. Help in the fight against cancer and other serious illnesses.