Researchers make the smallest diode using a DNA moleculeApril 5, 2016 - 15:41 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - A team of researchers from the University of Georgia and Ben-Gurion University has developed an electronic component so tiny, you can't even see it under an ordinary microscope, Engadget said. The team used a single DNA molecule to create a diode, a component that conducts electricity mostly in one direction. Further, the DNA molecule they designed for the study only has 11 base pairs. That makes it a pretty short helix, considering a human genome has approximately 3 billion pairs. To allow a current to flow through the DNA, the team inserted a molecule called "coralyne" into the helix. What the team came up with was a diode, because the current was 15 times stronger for negative voltages than for positive. The study's lead author Bingqian Xu decided to experiment on DNA to create minuscule components, since we can't exactly use silicon for parts that size, Engadget said. He said: "For 50 years, we have been able to place more and more computing power onto smaller and smaller chips, but we are now pushing the physical limits of silicon. If silicon-based chips become much smaller, their performance will become unstable and unpredictable." Xu's and his team's efforts could eventually lead to more nanoscale electronics. Plus, the project could lead to more advanced devices, since scaling down components means engineers can cram more into regular-sized gadgets, Engadget said. Top stories Yerevan will host the 2024 edition of the World Congress On Information Technology (WCIT). Rustam Badasyan said due to the lack of such regulation, the state budget is deprived of VAT revenues. Krisp’s smart noise suppression tech silences ambient sounds and isolates your voice for calls. Gurgen Khachatryan claimed that the "illegalities have been taking place in 2020." Partner news Most popular in the section | U.S. believes peace is “possible” in South Caucasus The United States continues to believe that peace is possible in the South Caucasus, Vedant Patel said. Government reveals details from Pashinyan’s meeting in border village Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has met with a group of residents of a border village in Armenia’s northern Tavush province Narek Manasyan wins European Boxing Championships silver for Armenia Armenia’s Narek Manasyan (92kg) won Armenia’s second silver medal at the European Boxing Championships 2024 on April 28. Blinken urges Azerbaijan to continue negotiations with Armenia Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken has urged Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to continue negotiations with Armenia. |