In the United Kingdom, researchers at University of Bristol are exploring the possibility of producing super-thin biodegradable wires from amino acids and heme molecules similar to those found in hemoglobin, but manufactured using yeast.
The work, which is detailed in a recent issue of The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could lead to biodegradable nanowires with tunable electronic properties.
“While our designs take inspiration from the protein-based electronic circuits necessary for all life on Earth, they are free from much of the complexity and instability that can prevent the exploitation of their natural equivalents on our own terms,” said lead author Ross Anderson, Professor of Biological Chemistry at the University of Bristol. “We can also build these minute electronic components to order, specifying their properties in a way that is not possible with natural proteins.”
The wires could be used for detecting disease and environmental pollutants, or even one day as the foundation of new electrical circuits.