All viruses have an organic outer plate , but it turns out that with a little transmissible tinkering they can be trained to grow an inorganic kayoed shell made of atomic number 79 or cobalt oxide . Angela Belcher ’s research laboratory at MIT has created an entire factory of civilize computer virus whose genes have been reprogrammed to grow barrage fire ingredients . They ’re also growing ingredient for solar cadre , as well as computer monitors and water - purification organisation .
Belcher say a ecstatic audience at the AAAS league over the weekend about how she could make a liquid full of these neutered computer virus , plunge a thin sheet of credit card into it , add a few more fixings , and wind up with a semitransparent , ultra - thin stamp battery . After working on this task for just over a twelvemonth , her squad got the battery to ability an LED , and now they ’re scaling up to something that could power your next laptop computer or cell phone .
“ Let ’s see what we can get biota to do for us , ” she said . “ It ’s just a matter of giving biology novel opportunities , novel fabric to work with . ” One hearing member take if Belcher is concerned about the viruses mutating and perhaps replicate on their own . Not possible , responded Belcher . The only mutation she ’s picture so far have been viruses retrovert back to their honest-to-god land ( ie , making regular virus case rather of battery components ) , and viruses making depolarized battery component .
So we wo n’t be figure a plague that turns your Li ion batteries into good deal of virus any time before long .
Biomolecular Materials Group[Angela Belcher ’s Lab ]
bioengineeringmad engineeringViruses
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