March 11, 2012 08:52 am EDT

Tel Aviv University develops biodegradable transistor, literally man made

Blood sweat and tears go into many projects, and in this case almost literally -- although technically it's blood, milk and mucus. Yep, researchers at Tel Aviv University have created biodegradable transistors from proteins found in the aforementioned organic substances. When the proteins are mixed with base materials in the right combinations, it seems they self-assemble into a semi-conducting film. Why blood, milk and mucus? Apparently, the different proteins each have unique properties. Blood's oxygen storing ability, for example, helps mix chemicals with semi-conductors to give them specific properties, while milk and mucus (the only time we want to see them together) have fiber forming, and light-creating properties respectively. The hope is that this can lead to flexible and biodegradable technology. The team at Tel Aviv says it's already working on a biodegradable display, with other electronic devices to follow -- which should help stem the flow of waste.

Tel Aviv University develops biodegradable transistor, literally man made originally appeared on Engadget on Sun, 11 Mar 2012 04:52:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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