Viruses Engineered to Construct Batteries

An anonymous reader writes "Researchers at MIT have modified the M13 virus to create very small batteries. With the viruses building wires 6 nanometers in diameter, the research team hopes to 'build batteries that range from the size of a grain of rice up to the size of existing hearing-aid batteries.'"

Comments

Lemme see here..

[k98sven]

First, the viruses aren't making any batteries, they're making wires which may be used in batteries?

Second.. it seems unclear that the virus is actually doing any work..

They modified the M13 virus' genes so its outside layer, or coat, would bind with certain metal ions. They incubated the virus in a cobalt chloride solution so that cobalt oxide crystals mineralised uniformly along its length.

They added a bit of gold for the desired electrical effects.

So basically, it seems they're pulling an Auric Goldfinger on those poor viruses, smothering them with conducting gold metal. Seems a bit misleading to characterize that as making the virus produce wire (much less a battery).

Rather, the viruses were modified to form a suitable substrate to cover with metal and turn into a wire, which is something a bit different.

details.

[hometoast]

A more in depth writeup at swoogylee.tripod.com/resume/Lee-jps-B-2004.pdf. For the interested or very bored.

The original article in Science

[mapkinase]

original article in science