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Bacteria Used to Create Nanowires

Posted by timothy on from the high-tech-beekeeping dept.

FnH writes "Derek Lovley and his colleagues of the University of Massachusetts discovered that the Geobacter bacteria is capable of producing nanowires. The bacteria is normally used to clean up toxic waste. Geobacter does not use oxygen, but metal as its source for power. This probably explains the 3nm to 5nm nanowires it excretes while working. What metal the nanowires are made of is not yet known, but the genetic code responsible for their creation is. This opens up the possibility of modifying the bacteria to create nanowires on chips."

13 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. For once by malkavian · · Score: 3, Funny

    people would be quite correct in saying that the wiring inside their device was crap!

  2. Oh, crap by KiloByte · · Score: 4, Funny

    This probably explains the 3nm to 5nm nanowires it excretes while working.
    So... the next generation of electronics is going to be made of shit?

    --
    The creatures outside looked from Alt-Right to Antifa; but already it was impossible to say which was which.
    1. Re:Oh, crap by imag0 · · Score: 2, Funny

      So... the next generation of electronics is going to be made of shit?

      Stands to reason it will be. Heaven knows the previous couple of generations have been ;)

  3. Re:Possible cyberjack material? by SlashEdsDoYourJobs · · Score: 5, Funny

    Hey, if the editors can dupe, why not you?

  4. Re:Oxigen by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    It's probably one of those British spellings. Like 'spelt', 'whilst', 'kerb', and a bunch of other meaningless words.

  5. I always said Intel chips by madman101 · · Score: 2, Funny

    were crap...

  6. Bacteria making wires?! by Dubpal · · Score: 5, Funny
    Don't these scientists read the news!? Wires are sooo twentieth century.
    Wake me up when they finally find bacteria that use Bluetooth.

    --
    If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face forever.
    - George Orwell
  7. Argh the bugs! by RenHoek · · Score: 1, Funny

    After all the time I spend in trying to get the damn bugs OUT of my computer, now the manufacturer it factoring them right in at the start of building my computer :(

  8. Nice by airjrdn · · Score: 2, Funny

    Great, now they're building the bugs into the chips on purpose? What next?

    --

    My Tech Posts on Twitter
    1. Re:Nice by Griim · · Score: 1, Funny

      It's not a bug it's a featu -- oh nevermind!

  9. This is already Patented... by vettemph · · Score: 2, Funny

    >
    >nanowires it excretes while working.

    and Microsoft will vigorously defend its patented ability to turn your PC into excrement.

    --
    The government which is strong enough to protect you from everything is strong enough to take everything from you.
  10. I was fired from this project... by vudufixit · · Score: 3, Funny

    For bringing penicillin to work! I had strep! WHERE IS THE JUSTICE IN THIS WORLD???

  11. Logistically speaking... by kent,+knower+of+all · · Score: 2, Funny

    How do you get all of the bacteria to crap in a straight line?

    I mean, all it takes is one of the little buggers to go off in a random direction and it'll short the whole damned circuit.

    Unless, of course, we can engineer another strain of bacteria that eat the metal wire and excrete insulated wire. :)

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