Germs That Build Circuits

Can a virus be used to build a transistor? That is exactly what Dr. Angela Belcher is researching in her laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, Mass. She is forcing evolution to genetically engineer and reproduce viruses that can adhere to semiconductors. The combination of virus and semiconductor, plus DNA to act as the blueprint, will then engage in biological self-assembly to produce nanoelectronic components. An article in the November issue of IEEE Spectrum discusses the technology and its implications.