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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."

2 of 188 comments (clear)

  1. Re:oxigen? by Oscar_Wilde · · Score: 0, Offtopic
    That is a correct use of a possessive apostrophe, it is not a contraction of "it is".
     
    Can you provide a reference for that?
     
    From the Oxford American Dictionaries:
    it's
    contraction of
    • it is : it's my fault.
    • it has : it's been a hot day.
    and
    its
    possessive adjective belonging to or associated with a thing previously mentioned or easily identified : turn the camera on its side | he chose the area for its atmosphere.
    • belonging to or associated with a child or animal of unspecified sex : a baby in its mother's womb.
    USAGE Its is the possessive form of: it.
    I can't find a reference for it's not being a contraction.
  2. Re:oxigen? by reklusband · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I'm a fire breathing vampire with 3 eyes. Way to talk out of your ass!