Researchers Build Tiny Batteries With Viruses

This one definitely borders on the freaky side for sure. Viruses used to build electronic structures? Hello?  Maybe we can all just skip the flu shots this year and head on over to MIT for a crash course in electrophysics?  In some sort of sick and twisted way, that runny nose you're fending off could possibly power your iPod...

"By manipulating a few genes inside these viruses, the team was able to coax the organisms to grow and self-assemble into a functional electronic device.

The goal of the work, led by MIT Professors Angela Belcher, Paula Hammond and Yet-Ming Chiang, is to create batteries that cram as much electrical energy into as small or lightweight a package as possible. The batteries they hope to build could range from the size of a grain of rice up to the size of existing hearing aid batteries."

Wonder what they could pull off with something like the Trojan.Peacomm strain?  Oh wait, wrong kind of virus... or is it?