Microbial nanowires, related systems and methods of fabrication
Conductive nanowires, as are available from a range of bacteria species, methods of use and related device structures.
1. A method of preparing a conductive electronic circuit component, said method comprising:
providing a bacterium expressing a conductive proteinaceous pilus;
providing a culture medium conditioned for conductive pilin production, said medium comprising an electron acceptor;
contacting said bacterium with said medium over a time sufficient for assembly of said pilus;
isolating said conductive pilus from said medium; and
coupling said conductive pilus to a circuit component.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein said pilus is encoded by the GSU1496 gene.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein said pilus is expressed by a Geobacteraceae bacterium.
4. The method of claim 2 wherein said bacterium is selected from G. sulfurreducens, G. metallireducens , and P. proprionicus.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein said coupling is in vitro.
6. The method of claim 5 wherein said pilus is contacted with a substrate component.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein said medium comprises an Fe(III) compound.
8. The method of claim 7 wherein said compound is Fe(III) oxide.
9. A method of using Geobacteraceae expression to prepare an electronic circuit component, said method comprising:
providing a Geobacteraceae bacterium expressing at least one conductive proteinaceous pilus;
providing a culture medium conditioned for conductive pilin production, said medium comprising an electron acceptor;
contacting said bacterium and said medium over a time sufficient for assembly of said pilus;
removing said conductive pilus from said bacterium; and
coupling said conductive pilus to a circuit component.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein said Geobacteraceae bacterium is selected from G. sulfurreducens and G. metallireducens.
11. The method of claim 10 comprising isolation of said pilus from said medium.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein said coupling is in vitro.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein a voltage can be applied across said pilus.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein said medium comprises an Fe(III) compound.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein said compound is Fe(III) oxide.
16. A nanodimensioned electronic device comprising a conductive circuit component comprising a proteinaceous pilus, said pilus the expression product of a bacterium comprising the GSU1496 gene, said pilus coupled in vitro to a voltage source.
17. The device of claim 16 wherein said pilus is expressed by a Geobacteraceae bacterium.
18. The device of claim 16 wherein said bacterium is selected from G. sulfurreducens, C. metallireducens , and P. proprionicus.
19. The device of claim 16 further comprising a substrate component.