Solar Cells; Improved by a Virus

Solar cells are about to become more affordable, with the help of a new process that makes them more efficient.  With the use of a genetically modified virus called M13, MIT researchers were able to make carbon nanotubes self-assemble which allowed the solar cells to collect more electrons at a more efficient rate.  With the knowledge that they have on nanotubes, researchers could improve the efficiency of photovoltaic devices, like solar panels.  However, one problem with the carbon nanotubes is that when they're formed they come in a mix of two types.  Some act like semiconductors, while others act like metals, and because of this the two basically will cancel each other out if they are used together.  With this problem in mind, the MIT researchers devised a mehod to separate the two types of nanotubes so they can be applied to a solar cell in a more efficient manner.  The researchers used the M13 virus to rearrange the carbon nanotubes on the surface, and keep the tubes separate so they would not cause the circuit to blow out.  The MIT researchers claimed that this process increased the the solar cells' efficiency by almost one third.  These, now more efficient, solar cells will cause the solar cells to become more affordable which will in turn make solar energy a more available resource.