Not the usual type of news but interesting nonetheless.
Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States have figured out a way to use viruses to build ultrathin lithium-ion batteries that pack three times the normal energy level for their weight and size, they said this week.
By manipulating genes inside the viruses, the scientists coaxed them into coating themselves with cobalt oxide molecules and gold particles and then lining themselves up to form tiny wires that serve as the anode electrode in a battery.
The eight-person team, led by MIT professors Angela Belcher, Paula Hammond and Yet-Ming Chiang, describe their work in this week’s issue of the journal Science.
Among other applications, the work could contribute to the development of more useful car batteries, which today are too heavy and weak to compete effectively with petrol, the scientists said.
