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posted by CoolHand on Saturday August 20 2016, @10:05AM   Printer-friendly
from the don't-use-the-antibacterial-soap dept.

The bacteria Geobacter naturally forms nanowires 30,000 times smaller than a human hair, but genetic modification sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) has made them 2,000 times more electrically conductive than they previously were.

The ONR-sponsored researchers—led by microbiologist Dr. Derek Lovley at the University of Massachusetts Amherst—say their engineered wires can be produced using renewable "green" energy resources like solar energy, carbon dioxide or plant waste; are made of non-toxic, natural proteins; and avoid harsh chemical processes typically used to create nanoelectronic materials.

"Research like Dr. Lovley's could lead to the development of new electronic materials to meet the increasing demand for smaller, more powerful computing devices," said Dr. Linda Chrisey, a program officer in ONR's Warfighter Performance Department, which sponsors the research. "Being able to produce extremely thin wires with sustainable materials has enormous potential application as components of electronic devices such as sensors, transistors and capacitors."

The centerpiece of Lovley's work is Geobacter, a bacteria that produces microbial nanowires—hair-like protein filaments protruding from the organism—enabling it to make electrical connections with the iron oxides that support its growth in the ground. Although Geobacter naturally carries enough electricity for its own survival, the current is too weak for human use, but is enough to be measured with electrodes.

[...] Lovley and Chrisey both say these ultra-miniature nanowires have numerous potential applications as electronic and computing devices continue to shrink in size. For example, they might be installed in medical sensors, where their sensitivity to pH changes can monitor heart rate or kidney function.

From a military perspective, the nanowires could feed electrical currents to specially engineered microbes to create butanol, an alternative fuel. This would be particularly useful in remote locations like Afghanistan, where fuel convoys are often attacked and it costs hundreds of dollars per gallon to ship fuel to warfighters.

Lovley's nanowires also may play a crucial role in powering highly sensitive microbes (which could be placed on a silicon chip and attached to unmanned vehicles) that could sense the presence of pollutants, toxic chemicals or explosives.

"This is an exciting time to be on the cutting edge of creating new types of electronics materials," said Lovley. "The fact that we can do this with sustainable, renewable materials makes it even more rewarding."

The headline is stolen from a paywalled journal article. What other uses for these brave new bio-wires can you think of, Soylentils?


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  • (Score: 2) by takyon on Saturday August 20 2016, @04:18PM

    by takyon (881) <reversethis-{gro ... s} {ta} {noykat}> on Saturday August 20 2016, @04:18PM (#390601) Journal

    Is harvesting the nanowires the goal, or should the bacteria be incorporated into technology?

    Maybe this could be used for a low-efficiency, low-cost solar panel.

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