Updates in silicon and electronics technology.

Ed.: This is a special feature courtesy of Binghamton University.

Generating electricity out of thin air. University of Massachusetts researchers have developed a device that uses natural protein to create electricity directly from moisture in the air, a technology that could have significant implications for the future of renewable energy, climate change, and medicine. The device is called an “Air-gen,” or air-powered generator, with electrically conductive protein nanowires produced by the Geobacter microbe. The Air-gen connects electrodes to the protein nanowires where the electrical current is generated from the water vapor naturally present in the atmosphere, literally making electricity out of thin air. The Air-gen generates clean energy 24/7 and is an exciting application of protein nano. (IEEC file #11678, UMass Amherst, 3/17/20)

To continue reading, please log in or register using the link in the upper right corner of the page.