Scientists Generate Electricity from a Virus!
Lit Corner | May 19, 2012 | 7:37 AMBy Chris Capps 5/16/12
Scientists at the US Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkely Lab have demonstrated that not only algae and bacteria can be genetically engineered to generate electricity, but so can viruses. The demonstration opens new doors for incredibly small and cheap electric power generators. If the idea is further developed, it could mean a whole new generation of electric generators from man-modified viruses. Is this a form of "common cold fusion?"
The paper, which was published in Nature Nanotechnology, demonstrated that a specially designed virus could be made to give off electricity by infusing it with a modified M13 virus. The virus, while sounding dubious to a public used to the word being compared to illness, is really a bacteriophage meaning it "eats" bacteria to allow it to reproduce. Additionally, this particular virus is not harmful to humans. It works on a simple principle that requires stress and impact in order to generate its electricity. The compression of the virus produces a weak electric charge that then can be passed on to the device being powered.… Read the rest


























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