links for 2009-04-21

"Researchers who have trained a tiny virus to do their bidding said on Thursday they made it build a more efficient and powerful lithium battery."

Ah, never thought of having a virus build the structures. Always figured using bacterias to either make proteins for batteries or laying down structures outside their cells. But to use a virus, crevar. [via @Open_bio]

They changed two genes in the virus, called M13, and got it to do two things: build a shell made out of a compound called iron phosphate, and then attach to a carbon nanotube to make a powerful and tiny electrode.