MIT Building Batteries Using Viruses

thefickler writes "Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology are now using viruses to build cathodes for Lithium-Ion batteries. Three years ago these same researchers found they could build an anode using viruses. Creating both the anode and cathode using viruses will make batteries easy to build. This nanoscale battery technology will allow batteries to be lightweight and to 'take the shape of their container' rather than creating containers for the batteries, which could open up new possibilities for car and electronics manufacturers."

Comments

Hope all goes well

[FlyByPC]

Now there's a whatcouldpossiblygowrong article if I ever saw one...

Re:Hope all goes well

[kkrajewski]

(Doctor pulls out voltmeter.) Hold these, please. Yep, you're infected.

Re:Hope all goes well

[geekoid]

cold fusion? this isn't fusion at all. None of the byproducts you need to show that it is fusion exist.

Re:Hope all goes well

[krkhan]

So, in future, instead of random statistics like "Melissa caushed American business $9.87 billion", we may finally have something authentic (and precise) like "Conficker was at least 14 Mega Joules, it was devastating".

Re:Hope all goes well

[julesh]

Now there's a whatcouldpossiblygowrong article if I ever saw one...

Well, yes, the people who use that tag are all reactionary luddites, and this story will appeal to them.

Please, what could go wrong with this? The virus escapes and... err... behaves almost exactly like the virus it was engineered from? Except, you know, in presence of iron phosphate (a rather rare substance) it grows in a different shape. Clearly a danger to the survival of our species, there.

Re:Hope all goes well

[palegray.net]

I assure you, fusion does exist, and it's in everyday use in thousands of homes across America.

Re:Hope all goes well

[Goaway]

Oh no, scary scary viruses! Viruses are super evil and will totally destroy humanity if we dare to meddle with them! Time to break out the torches and pitchforks, or at the very least post smarmy posts on Slashdot!

(Here's a hint: Viruses are probably the most common entities in the biosphere. You are pretty much swimming in them.)

What kind of virus

[iminplaya]

will power your vibrator? Herpes? You just scratch it to recharge?

Re:What kind of virus

[iminplaya]

Flamebait -- Heheh, I get it.

Re:What kind of virus

[Vectronic]

Couldn't find a sex device, but Eco Drive could work. Not quite the same, but better than nothing kinda thing.

Not sure why there aren't more (any?) MP3 players that use it, think there used to be some jogging radios that used kinetic energy to power, or help power them though. Phones, would probably last much longer as well. Kinetic from walking/etc, temperature from holding it, solar from having it on the desk/dash/etc...

If infected, that will redefine....

[hwyhobo]

...bipolar

And a new super-hero is born!

[erroneus]

After an accidental viral infection at MIT labs, the new hero can now do things that only batteries could do before! His given name, Melvin C. Cooper emerges now as "D u r a M e l !"

It's harmless.

[mail2345]

According to the article, these virii only infect bacteria. Unless they mutate. I'm fairly certain that they have controls to prevent that kind of thing. Plus, phage based medications turned out to not to have a high chance of fatalities.

Re:It's harmless.

[geekoid]

It's bad enough when people in IT show there ignorance by using the term virii when talking about computer programs.
This is actual wet science, so use the correct singular and plural.

viÂrus (vÄ'rÉ(TM)s) Pronunciation Key
n. pl. viÂrusÂes

      1.
                  1. Any of various simple submicroscopic parasites of plants, animals, and bacteria that often cause disease and that consist essentially of a core of RNA or DNA surrounded by a protein coat. Unable to replicate without a host cell, viruses are typically not considered living organisms.
                  2. A disease caused by a virus.
      2. Something that poisons one's soul or mind: the pernicious virus of racism.
      3. Computer Science A computer virus.

Re:It's harmless.

[mattack2]

It's also bad enough when people apparently don't use the "Preview" button first.

Re:It's harmless.

[Hurricane78]

do you know how many percent of the cells in our body are actually bacteria?
without that bacteria, you would:
- get infected with every crap bacteria you touch (your whole skin is coated in good bacteria, to keep the bad away)
- not be able to digest your food (your intestines are full of them, doing good work for you)
- and even change your way of thinking (because bacteria interact with the communication of neurons. complicated stuff. can't find the article now.)

you wouldn't even be able to survive without them!

So you better care for your bacterial friends, or other not no nice forms may soon replace them. :)

Re:It's harmless.

[derGoldstein]

It's bad enough when people in IT show there ignorance

"there" ignorance, huh?...

Re:It's harmless.

[InfoJunkie777]

Actually I now do. This from Google Answers : http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview/id/208733.html Q: What I'm curious about tonight is what percentage of an average person's body weight is accounted for by bacteria? A. It appears that the average human bacterial load is approximately 2 to 9 pounds, depending upon which reference source is consulted. Below you'll find a variety of sources from which to choose. "Within every human being is a flourishing, living colony of approximately four pounds of bacteria. Most of these bacteria reside in the human digestive tract although some are found elsewhere (i.e. the oral cavity, throat, etc.)"

Re:It's harmless.

[Gibbs-Duhem]

The virus they're using has been approved for use in the human body by the FDA, if I recall correctly.

But even then, the virus is obliterated after forming the materials, isn't it? I mean, don't they heat treat it at pretty high temperatures to burn out the residual organics?

Re:It's harmless.

[syousef]

It's bad enough when people in IT show there ignorance by using the term virii when talking about computer programs.

First of all, it has already been pointed out you used the wrong word "there" instead of "their" which is just brilliant irony.

Secondly both words "virii" and "viruses" have been used widely. Quoting a single source (poorly without previewing) to single one out as the "correct" one is just silly. At the very least if you're going to point out the mistake, point to some relevant information on why "viruses" is the correct pluralisation. Here I'll do it for you: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plural_of_virus#Use_of_the_form_virii

Thirdly, why do you quote the rest of the definition of the word virus? I didn't realise this was some obscure and unknown word that needed to be explained.

In summary, pipe down you arrogant jackass. Correct your own mistakes before trolling over other people's.

Re:It's harmless.

[Emerssso]

Technically speaking, as a linguist, *both* are acceptable plurals of the word 'virus'. They both meet the broad definition of morphological variants, namely that at least some English speakers use both /virii/ and /viruses/ and nearly all speakers of the language can understand the content the speaker is attempting to convey. Furthermore, both use morphological pluralization rules found in other words in the language (for example, /cacti/ and /foxes/. From a linguistic standpoint, it doesn't really matter whether or not this would be correct in Latin, as we are discussing English. The point I'm trying to make is that it may be the case that from a traditional lexicographical standpoint, only one is correct, most modern linguists would accept both as valid plurals, and neither as superior over the other. Remember, the sounds we make are ultimately arbitrary representations. As long as the are consistently intelligible within a community, it doesn't matter what they are.

Technical progress, but unfortunately...

[franois-do]

"will allow batteries (...) to 'take the shape of their container' rather than creating containers for the batteries"

Wonderful ! Now, instead of having some standard battery sizes (AA, AAA and so on), we are going tu have as many different shapes of batteries as there are products, not only between manufacturers but within the line of the same manufacturer (for the same reason that Gillette has 10 different shapes of blades, or than portables PCs have 200+ type of batteries, or that we hare 20 or so different AC/DC transformers at home), so you will have to buy every time a given manufacturer's battery and throw it away rather than reuse it on a later apparatus.

I am afraid that while technically we have a progress here, our production organization wil make it a regression; it something that happens from time to time.

Re:Technical progress, but unfortunately...

[julesh]

Wonderful ! Now, instead of having some standard battery sizes (AA, AAA and so on), we are going tu have as many different shapes of batteries as there are products

I have non-standard batteries in my cell phone, my laptop, my electric bike, my portable media player, my bluetooth headset and my digital camera. I have standard size batteries in... err... actually, I can't remember anything I own that uses standard batteries. Oh, the digital scales in my kitchen, which take 2xCR2032s.

Standard sized batteries are already on their way out. Manufacturer-specific rechargeables are the new standards.

Re:It's a creative use for conficker

[interstellar_donkey]

Well, presumably they wouldn't build the battery with the HIV or influenza virus in it. Unless, of course, Energizer is feeling especially cruel.

Re:It's a creative use for conficker

[drinkypoo]

Well, presumably they wouldn't build the battery with the HIV or influenza virus in it. Unless, of course, Energizer is feeling especially cruel.

Would that be "It keeps going... and going... and going..." or "New Energizer! Oy!"

2 second charges were better

[heroine]

Last month's battery which could recharge in 2 seconds was way better than this.

Aw, man! This sucks!

[icannotthinkofaname]

You mean the next time my computer catches a virus, it could infect me as well? And this virus will work even if I run Linux?

Everything I know is a lie!!!! >_

Someone stop this thing before it infects 12 million PCs!