Bacteria-Eating Virus to Charge Your Cellphone

One of the hottest innovations ever made in the mobile phone industry – a team of researchers have developed a unique method of charging the cellphones from a bacteria eating virus. The virus is named as ‘M13 bacteriophage’. It is being developed by a team of scientists based in University of California. If the latest innovation is true, then it might bring an end to the current battery units which are made with toxic elements.

One of the reports claims that the virus uses a property known as piezoelectricity, capable of generating electrical energy from mechanical energy. This innovation might make ‘charging the mobile phone while walking’ phenomenon a reality. The significance for this newly found virus is huge since most of the mobile phones can potentially use piezoelectric charging especially because of its capability to transform energy from sound waves in to an electrical output. This electric output can be again transferred and can be converted back to the sound waves.

Moreover, one of the major advantages of using M13 bacteriophage is its ability to develop electricity without any need to force and compress any toxic chemicals. The virus is a very useful power source especially taking in to consideration the safety it throws to human beings. The scientists were also able to improve the generating power of electricity by tweaking amino acid content of the outer protein coat of the virus. This was done by totaling four glutamate molecules that are negatively charged.

Zhong Lin Wang, an engineer at the Georgia Institute of Technology was quoted in a report saying, “This will bring a lot of excitement to the field.” Mr.Wang also said, “By utilizing the properties of these biomaterials, we can find unique applications in the future.”