"They are like power lines at the nanoscale," Gemma Reguera, MSU microbiologist, said. "This is also the first study to show the ability of electrons to travel such long distances - more than a 1000 times what's been previously proven - along proteins."
Since existing nanotechnologies incorporate exotic metals into their designs, the cost of organic nanowires is much more cost effective, she added.
"We can mimic the natural manufacturing process in the lab to mass-produce them in inexpensive and environmentally friendly processes," Reguera explained. "This contrasts dramatically with the manufacturing of manmade inorganic nanowires, which involve high temperatures, toxic solvents, vacuums and specialised equipment."
Being made of protein, these organic nanowires are biodegradable and biocompatible. According to Reguera, this discovery could be used in applications in nanoelectronics such as the development of medical sensors and electronic devices that can be interfaced with human tissues."
The researchers also identified traps on the surface of the protein nanowires that bind uranium and could potentially trap other metals. These findings could provide the basis for systems that integrate protein nanowires to mine gold and other precious metals, scrubbers that can be deployed to immobilise uranium at remediation sites and more.
