Angela Belcher, the Germeshausen Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Biological Engineering at MIT, says that the newly discovered virus-powered batteries are two times more efficient than conventional ones. While U.S. President Barack Obama last week raised concerns over federal funding to promote new clean-energy technologies, MIT President Susan Hockfield displayed the prototype battery indicating it as one of them.
Virus-powered battery is still a concept:
Taking a cue from the mechanism that allows abalone to grow shells from calcium carbonate, Angela planned to try this on the phages. The new technology makes use of bacteriophages or the bacteria-eaters that latch onto bacteria with a coat decked with particular proteins. Over a period, sediments transform themselves to a wiry structure i.e. a nanowire. These nanowires go on to form the positively and negatively charged ends of a lithium-ion battery. Though the viruses are unsafe to all generally, these bacteriophages are reported to be nontoxic.
Belcher and her colleagues succeeded in building a coin-sized battery. The researchers used amorphous iron phosphate to make it because it is an environment-friendly substance. It’s cheaper too. Normally, iron phosphate does not allow electricity to pass through it unless viruses, at the nanometer scale, make it conductive. The phages don’t require toxic solvents or high temperature; definitely, they can’t grow if the temperature exceeds the boiling point of water.
Looking ahead of times, if this concept ever comes to existence you can hope these virus-built batteries to power various gadgets and autos.