Wednesday, March 12, 2008

MIT research team turns snails, shells into batteries

MIT is touting the work of a research team led by Angela Belcher that has helped turn studies of sea snails and their shells into a new nano-materials-based battery technology.

Belcher, the Germeshausen professor of materials science and engineering and biological engineering at MIT -- who was named a Mass High TechWomen to Watch in 2005 -- has developed a material that combines organic and inorganic parts to create a film that resembles plastic food wrap.

Belcher created a nanoscale rechargeable battery composed of a virus that she and her colleagues engineered to attach to cobalt oxide. The resulting film is transparent and efficient, according to MIT, and could be applied as a coating on whatever object it's powering.

Belcher conducted the research with two well-known MIT researchers: chemical engineering professor Paula Hammond and materials science professor Yet-Ming Chiang, who is known in the tech business community as the co-founder of Westborough-based American Superconductor Inc. and Watertown-based A123Systems Inc.

Other MIT researchers are doing studies inspired by sea shells. Christine Ortiz, associate professor of materials science and engineering, and her team have been analyzing seashells to understand how to build flexible, nano-materials-based armor for the military, among other potential uses.

Belcher founded Cambrios Technologies Corp., a Mountain View, Calif., company, which has the rights to her "directed evolution" virus technology and is looking at the developments.