Biomolecular Materials Group

Chemical & Engineering News: Virus Power

April 6th, 2009 Comments Off

The next generation of batteries could be made with the help of an unusual manufacturing partner—a virus that infects bacteria. Using an environmentally benign process, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology coaxed a genetically engineered virus into building and wiring the cathode of a lithium-ion battery.

Read on: “Virus Power

NPR News: Hidden Ingredient In New, Greener Battery: A Virus

April 6th, 2009 Comments Off

Scientists at MIT have developed a new, more environmentally friendly way to make lithium batteries. Their approach employs an unusual component: genetically engineered viruses.  These new batteries have the same energy capacity as other lithium batteries of the same size and show potential to develop even more powerful batteries.  MIT researcher Angela Belcher, who trained in biology, inorganic chemistry and electrical engineering, has long been interested in using natural biological processes to build better technology.

Read on and listen at:  “Hidden Ingredient In New, Greener Battery: A Virus

BBC News: Virus battery could ‘power cars’

April 2nd, 2009 Comments Off

Viruses have been used to help build batteries that may one day power cars and all types of electronic devices. The speed and relatively cheap cost of manufacturing virus batteries could prove attractive to industry. Professor Angela Belcher, who led the research team, said: “Our material is powerful enough to be able to be used in a car battery.”

Read on: “Virus battery could ‘power cars’

New virus-built battery could power cars, electronic devices

April 2nd, 2009 Comments Off

For the first time, MIT researchers have shown they can genetically engineer viruses to build both the positively and negatively charged ends of a lithium-ion battery.

Read on: “New virus-built battery could power cars, electronic devices

Congratulations to Yun Jung Lee and Hyunjung Yi

April 2nd, 2009 Comments Off

Congratulations to Yun Jung Lee and Hyunjung Yi on their publication entitled “Fabricating Genetically Engineered High-Power Lithium Ion Batteries Using Multiple Virus Genes“, which was published in the journal Science.

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