P.C. Shannon

Popular Mechanics gave a “Breakthrough Award” to MIT researchers who reprogrammed a virus to instead form a tiny, tiny battery anode. The researchers, lead by Dr. Angela Belcher, used the bacteriophage M13, which is a workhorse of molecular biology to incorporate cobalt oxide and gold, forming a nanowire. M13 grows in a tight cylindrical spiral, and I suspect that the scientists exploited this property in convincing the virus to grow a nanowire. As Popular Mechanics recognized with their award, this is a very interesting development.

First of all, this is another example of researchers exploiting biological principles in developing nanotechnology. More importantly, it’s one of the first steps toward molecular manufacturing, the construction of objects on the scale of individual molecules. Dr. Belcher nails it, and also makes a point about the value of biology in nanotech research:

What we want to do is have a beaker where you mix everything together and out comes the functional device. Toy boxes often say “some assembly required.” These will be no assembly required. My dream is to have a DNA sequence that codes for the synthesis of any material you want to make.

The Center for Responsible Nanotechnology projects that molecular manuafcturing will mature between 2015 and 2020. On one hand, that seems awfully soon, but then again, technology advances at an incredible rate. In either case, if and when the molecular manufacturing becomes available, it’s going to revolutionize daily life.

On a personal note, Dr. Belcher was at UT until a few years ago. I was really looking forward to at least doing a rotation in her lab, but then she was taken away by MIT. Oh, what could have been!