
MIT scientists have developed a technology that uses the construction abilities of tiny viruses to build "nanowire" structures which function as in very thin lithium-ion batteries.
MIT Professors Angela Belcher, Paula Hammond and Yet-Ming Chiang have by simply manipulating a few genes within common laboratory virus strains were able to make the viruses grow and self-assemble into a functional electronic device.
Batteries are made of two opposite electrodes-a negatively charged anode and a positively charged cathode-separated by an electrolyte. Specifically, the viruses were altered to generate protein coats that collect molecules of cobalt oxide and gold. They thus formed the anode.
The advantage of this technology is that in the future car batteries could be these rather than gasoline.
Science journal has published the work.
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