Nanotube Transistor Converts Biological Chemical Energy Into Electrici

Nanotube Transistor Converts Biological Chemical Energy Into Electricity.

New Scientist (5/12, Barras) reported, "A novel transistor controlled by the chemical that provides the energy for our cells' metabolism could be a big step towards making prosthetic devices that can be wired directly into the nervous system." The transistor, developed by researchers at the Lawrence Livermore National Lab led by Aleksandr Noy, is comprised "of a carbon nanotube, which behaves as a semiconductor, bridging the gap between two metal electrodes and coated with an insulating polymer layer that leaves the middle section of the nanotube exposed. The entire device is then coated again, this time with a lipid bi-layer similar to those that form the membranes surrounding our body's cells."

        According to Popular Science (5/12, Dillow), "the magic is in the lipid bi-layer, which contains an ATP-sensitive protein that serves as a kind of ion pump when ATP is present. ... It all adds up to a way to use biological chemical energy to create electricity from the movement of ions in the body." Among other applications, such research "could lead to the Holy Grail of prosthetic research: mechanical devices that can be wired seamlessly to our brains."