Scientists have managed to create a new kind of transistor by using viruses (tobacco mosaic virus) and covering these with nanoparticles of platinum. Virus is then embedded into a polymer matrix and placed between two electrodes. These transistors works so that when you put voltage over them the electrons jump from the platinum to the virus proteins. Since the distance is so short, only 10nm, it only takes 100μs for the charge to move the distance and thus set the transistor to ON. This means that a virus-based transistor is about 1000 times faster than a conventional transistor. When the voltage drops below a certain threshold the charge will jump back to the nanoparticles, ~16 in amount, and turn the transistor OFF. Scientists haven’t been able to produce more than a transistor today but hopes to have a chip prototype in about 4 years.
