Dr. Belcher's team uses the virus as a temporary scaffolding on which the crystals grow. The viruses are first altered by the insertion of a few amino acid chains, called peptides, so that they attract a particular material like zinc sulfide or cadmium sulfide.
It is all a matter of affinity, molecular recognition and genetic programming, Dr. Belcher said. "We programmed the virus to grow a particular material at a particular length," she said. "Then we burned off the virus and were left with single-crystal semiconductor wires."
computer chips are virus poop
Benign Viruses Shine on the Silicon Assembly Line
Tags: computers, doomed, mutants, perversions, poop
Current Music: Cubanate -- Autonomy ♬
6 Responses:
I for one etc. etc. semiconductor-making viral masters etc.
This is all well and good until these bugs develop an affinity for growing little wires all through your brain. That'd be delightful.
--riney
Damn you, I wanted to say that! :D
FRIST PS0T!!11
I wonder if there is any potential for *really weird* things to happen if the viruses get loose.
like a virus that infect a person and grows nano wires in their blood stream.
Oh but that would *never* happen. I mean, they take precautions...and stuff...right?
Right?
*shudder*
i have all the trust in the american government to oversee that such precautions happen ... :OP