SEOUL, April 3 (UPI) -- Experiments with a virus known as M13 produced a lithium-ion battery 10 times stronger than those in use today, say scientists in South Korea.
M13, a common bacteriophage, was used to produce nano-structured electrodes that gave lithium batteries more punch, said scientists at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
The Korean scientists, working with researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, manipulated the genes of the virus to create anode materials, which were attached to carbon nanotubes used to produce the batteries, The Korea Times reported Friday.
Lithium-ion batteries, which are rechargeable, are in growing demand for laptop computers, cell phones and hybrid cars.
In tests, combining the M13 virus with carbon nanotubes proved to deliver greater power by speeding the movement of ions, the study's lead author Kang Ki-suk told the Times.
"The study was a result of synergy between nanotechnology, biotechnology and energy technology," Kang said.
