Researchers have engineered viruses to attract metals and spin them into battery components.
Modifying viral genes so the outside viral layer would bind with certain metal ions, they found that incubating the virus in a cobalt chloride solution produced nanowires that work as positive electrodes.
The AP said that the scientists introduced a bit of gold for the desired electrical effects, but we all know that they were proud and just wanted to add a little bling.
Though there’s obviously no hope for human survival in the face of such intelligent and industrious obligate intracellular parasites, we can at least rest assured that in the grim future of Hello Bacteriophage, the war machine will be powered by tiny cute little lithium ion battery electrodes.
Viruses “trained” [AP]
