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'Zombie' cells beat live counterparts in performance

Feb 22 2013, 2:56am CST | by

London, Feb 22 (IANS) Zombies or the walking dead, a concept popularised by Hollywood, have just been reborn as 'zombie cells' in the lab -- and unlike the movie version, they perform long after they are dead, says a new study.

London, Feb 22 — Zombies or the walking dead, a concept popularised by Hollywood, have just been reborn as 'zombie cells' in the lab -- and unlike the movie version, they perform long after they are...

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"The adapted strain readily produced electrical current in microbial fuel cells with hydrogen gas as the sole electron donor and no organic carbon source"


Source: EurekAlert

 
 

12 weeks ago

'Zombie' cells beat live counterparts in performance

Feb 22 2013, 2:56am CST | by

London, Feb 22 (IANS) Zombies or the walking dead, a concept popularised by Hollywood, have just been reborn as 'zombie cells' in the lab -- and unlike the movie version, they perform long after they are dead, says a new study.

London, Feb 22 — Zombies or the walking dead, a concept popularised by Hollywood, have just been reborn as 'zombie cells' in the lab -- and unlike the movie version, they perform long after they are dead, says a new study.

Scientists found that by coating organic cells in silicic acid they could make these zombies better able to tolerate far greater temperatures and pressures than flesh.

The technique, developed by researchers from Sandia National Labs and the University of New Mexico, both in the US, paves the way for preservation of valuable biological material by 'converting it into a fossil.'

They believe the zombie cells could have applications in manufacturing, including fuel cells or sensor technology and may be the future of nanotechnology, the Daily Mail reports.

"It's very challenging for researchers to build structures at a nanometer scale. We can make particles and wires, but 3-D arbitrary structures haven't been achieved yet," Bryan Kaehr, who led the study, was quoted as saying.

"With this technique, we don't need to build those structures - nature does it for us," Kaehr added.

The living cells are painted with the acid in a petri dish and the silica solution then forms a replica down to the most minute detail.

Kaehr said the process means the cells can carry on 'working' even after they are dead.

"By being able to survive extreme pressures and temperatures, the zombie cells can perform some functions better than when they were alive," said Michael Hess at the American Office of Public Affairs.

He said by heating the silica to 400 degrees Celsius, the organic part of the cell is evaporated and the solution is kept as a "three-dimensional Madame Tussauds wax replica of a formerly living being".

IANS

Source: IANS

 

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<a href="/latest_stories/all/all/8" rel="author">Luigi Lugmayr</a>
Luigi is the founding Chief Editor of I4U News and brings over 15 years experience in the technology field to the ever evolving and exciting world of gadgets. He started I4U News back in 2000 and evolved it into vibrant technology magazine.
Luigi can be contacted directly at ml@i4u.com. Luigi posts regularly on LuigiMe.com about his experience running I4U.

 

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