Algae Can Carry Cargo

Steve Nixon writes "Recently, a team of scientists devised a way to make single-celled algae bear loads over distances of several centimeters--a tactic that the researchers say could prove useful in tiny machines. Algae and other single-celled organisms power their movements with molecular motors. 'Scientists have long coveted these motors for use in micromachinery,' notes chemist Douglas B. Weibel of Harvard University.

Comments

Use algae to build a motherboard?

[UnapprovedThought]

1. Shine the pattern of an electronic circuit (e.g. a motherboard) down, until algae collect on the lighted parts.
2. Flash the UV light to make the algae drop their cargo, nominally a conductor, but possibly a semiconductor.
3. Shine light back to a repository of insulator so they return to pick up the next load.
4. While that's going on, "Cook" the circuit to set the conductor, cool it and then place it back precisely where it was.
5. Use the algae to lay down a layer of insulator uniformly over the conductor, except at the layer-to-layer contact points.
6. Repeat until an entire 3-D circuit is built.

Only low density stuff could be produced this way, but maybe it is more environmentally friendly ?