The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is famed around the world for developing some of the biggest innovations in science and technology over the past century. This week, researchers at the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based university announced they are working with viruses to help boost the efficiency of solar panel systems.
According to MIT researchers, viruses help ensure that nanoscale components in solar modules work properly; using the tiny microbes, the scientists discovered they could boost solar module efficiency by over 30 percent - a vast improvement.
Scientists had previously worked with carbon nanotubes to increase solar panel efficiency, but the tools had their own drawbacks. However, the MIT researchers discovered that M13, a bacteria-eating virus, has the ability to bind to carbon nanotubes and make the process of increasing the effectiveness of the cells go much more smoothly than it would otherwise.
The viruses help keep the carbon nanotubes in place and are also genetically engineered to generate a layer of titanium dioxide, a key component in certain solar cells. In total, the virus helped researchers to increase the solar cell's power conversion by 10.6 percent from 8 percent, representing an improvement of about 30 percent.
MIT professor Angela Belcher, who heads the research, said the experiment illustrated the interplay of different scientific disciplines - in this case, physics and biology. "A little biology goes a long way," Belcher affirmed.
没有评论:
发表评论