Scientists at the United States Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory have developed a way to generate electricity using the piezoelectric ability of harmless viruses to convert mechanical energy into electricity.

The researchers built a generator with a postage stamp-sized electrode and based on a small film of specially engineered viruses.

When a finger tapped the electrode, the viruses converted the mechanical energy into electricity.

Materials that can convert mechanical energy into electricity are known as "piezoelectric".

"More research is needed, but our work is a promising first step toward the development of personal power generators, actuators for use in nano-devices.

This is said to be the first device to produce electricity by harnessing the piezoelectric properties of a biological material. Most existing piezoelectric devices are toxic and difficult to work with, limiting the widespread use of the technology.

Read more and view schematics here:

http://news.asiantown.net/r/24062/Berkeley-scientists-turn-harmless-virus-into-piezoelectric-generator