Microbial Materials
Scientists co-opt viruses, bacteria, and fungi to build new structures
Bone. Nerve. Muscle. Horn. Hide. Silk. With ingenious assemblages of atoms and molecules, biology produces fantastic substances that have long inspired scientists to develop the synthetic materials of the modern landscape. Lately, materials scientists have turned to biology’s smallest individuals–viruses, bacteria, and fungi. Not only can these microbes be coaxed to produce high-tech components, but they can also themselves serve as valuable ingredients in new classes of materials.
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Scientists are beginning to employ microbes, for example, to organize crystals into complicated geometries or provide living templates for growing crystals. Since the structure of materials is intimately linked to their behavior, a new means of controlling crystal organization creates a buzz among materials scientists.