Engineering biology to make materials for energy devices | Angela Belcher | TEDxCaltech

Summary

In this engaging talk, the speaker explores the fascinating ways nature creates advanced materials, focusing on how organisms like abalone shells and diatoms form exquisite, nanostructured materials. The idea of applying these natural processes to create environmentally friendly technologies like batteries and solar cells is introduced. Through genetic engineering, viruses can be manipulated to build materials for high-powered batteries, photocatalysis, and solar cells. The speaker envisions a future where biology helps humans create innovative, sustainable technologies by harnessing the capabilities of simple organisms, bringing nature’s nanoscale mastery into the world of modern technology.

Takeaways

• 😀 Nature produces incredibly tough and intricate materials, such as abalone shells, which are made of 98% calcium carbonate and 2% protein, and are 3,000 times tougher than their geological counterparts.
• 😀 Biomaterials like abalone shells and diatoms are nanostructured and built using proteins that are coded at the genetic level, showcasing nature's ability to create structures at a microscopic scale.
• 😀 The vision is to apply nature’s material-building techniques to non-living structures, like batteries and solar cells, making them more efficient, environmentally friendly, and self-improving.
• 😀 Nature’s ability to build complex materials, like shells, comes from genetic information passed between organisms, enabling them to replicate and create new structures over time.
• 😀 The idea of using biology to create functional materials extends to bacteria and viruses, with the goal of programming them to build complex structures for technological applications.
• 😀 The Cambrian period marked a significant development where organisms started producing hard materials, like shells, after about 500 million years of evolution, demonstrating the potential for rapid innovation in material science.
• 😀 Biology already gives us exquisite nano-scale structures such as DNA, proteins, and antibodies, which can potentially be harnessed to create things like solar cells or batteries.
• 😀 By coding DNA sequences that correspond to desired materials, new technologies could be developed where even elements not commonly found in nature could be incorporated into structures.
• 😀 Through biotechnology, viruses like M13 bacteriophage can be engineered to express proteins that interact with materials like carbon nanotubes, enabling the growth of new types of batteries and solar cells at room temperature.
• 😀 The use of viruses in material engineering has led to the creation of high-powered batteries, record-breaking solar cells, and photocatalytic systems for clean energy, such as water-splitting for hydrogen fuel production.

Q & A

What makes abalone shells so remarkable in terms of material properties?

Abalone shells are biocomposite materials that are 98% calcium carbonate and 2% protein. Despite being mostly made of calcium carbonate, they are 3,000 times tougher than their geological counterpart, highlighting nature's ability to create highly efficient, durable materials at the nanoscale.

How does nature produce materials at the nanoscale?

Nature produces materials at the nanoscale by using proteins that are coded by genetic information. These proteins enable organisms to create exquisite structures at room temperature and pressure, using nontoxic materials, which provides inspiration for future technologies.

What is the vision behind integrating biological processes into technology, such as batteries and solar cells?

The vision is to enable non-living structures, like batteries and solar cells, to replicate the capabilities of natural materials like abalone shells. By leveraging biological processes, these devices could be made more efficient, environmentally friendly, and self-improving over time.

What role do bacteria and viruses play in future technologies, according to the speaker?

Bacteria and viruses are considered essential tools in future technologies. By using simple organisms and programming them with new genetic information, they could be harnessed to build complex structures for various applications, such as batteries, solar cells, and catalysts.

Why is it significant that organisms started making hard materials around 500 million years ago?

Around 500 million years ago, organisms began making hard materials like shells, which marked a significant evolutionary step. This innovation was enabled by the increased presence of calcium, iron, and silicon in the environment, and it allowed organisms to create materials that provided structural protection and new functional properties.

How can genetic information help build new materials not found in nature?

By coding for new DNA and protein sequences, scientists could potentially design materials that nature has never produced. This could involve taking elements from the periodic table and guiding biological systems to assemble them into entirely new, useful structures.

What is the role of viruses in creating advanced materials like batteries?

Viruses, specifically the M13 bacteriophage, can be genetically engineered to produce proteins that interact with materials like carbon nanotubes, which are essential for creating advanced battery electrodes. Through a process of evolution and selection, viruses can help assemble these components into high-performance materials.

What is the significance of the virus-based battery developed in the lab?

The virus-based battery is significant because it was engineered at room temperature and pressure, making it an environmentally friendly process. It also demonstrated record-breaking high power performance and even made its way to the White House for a press conference, showcasing its potential for real-world applications.

How does the use of viruses contribute to advancements in catalysis and clean energy?

Viruses can be engineered to act as antennas, helping to absorb and transfer light energy. This can be used in photocatalytic reactions, such as splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen for clean fuel production, illustrating how viruses can play a key role in advancing renewable energy technologies.

What progress has been made in developing virus-based solar cells?

Through genetic engineering, viruses have been used to enhance the efficiency of dye-sensitized solar cells. By incorporating carbon nanotubes and growing titanium dioxide around them, the solar cells achieved a significant efficiency increase, from 8% to 11%, showcasing the potential for biological systems in improving renewable energy technologies.