The generator is the first to produce electricity by harnessing the piezoelectric properties of a biological material. It could replace the use of highly-toxic chemicals in current piezoelectric devices.
It could also lead to a simpler way to make microelectronic devices, as the viruses self-assemble into an orderly film.
"More research is needed, but our work is a promising first step toward the development of personal power generators, actuators for use in nano-devices, and other devices based on viral electronics," says Seung-Wuk of Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley.
The M13 bacteriophage only attacks bacteria and is benign to people. It replicates itself by the millions within hours, so there's always a steady supply, and it's easy to genetically engineer.
When pressure is applied to the generator, it produces up to six nanoamperes of current and 400 millivolts of potential - about a quarter the voltage of a triple A battery.
"We're now working on ways to improve on this proof-of-principle demonstration," says Lee. "Because the tools of biotechnology enable large-scale production of genetically modified viruses, piezoelectric materials based on viruses could offer a simple route to novel microelectronics in the future."
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