Virus-built Batteries

Earlier this month, researchers at MIT successfully engineered viruses to build lithium-ion batteries. One of the genetically engineered viruses creates an anode by coating itself with cobalt oxide and gold and self-assembling to form a nanowire. The cathode is made up of a virus that coats itself with iron phosphate and then grabs carbon nanotubes to create a highly conductive network. This network creates a very fast electrode, as electrons can travel quickly along the carbon nanotubes. More importantly, the carbon nanotubes increase the conductivity of the cathode without adding a lot of weight. This advancement allows for the production of small, conformable batteries that will be both flexible and lightweight. Current “virus-built” batteries do not have as many charge cycles as lithium-ion batteries, but researchers expect each cycle to last much longer. Future research by the group at MIT will focus on using higher voltage materials, now that virus-built batteries can be successfully wired on the nanoscale.

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