Eco Factor: Energy efficient organic LEDs made from salmon DNA.
If you’re of the belief that DNA can only be used to characterize living organisms, researchers at the University of Connecticut have proved you wrong. These researchers have used salmon DNA to develop next-gen LED bulbs. The researchers added fluorescent dye to salmon DNA and spun the DNA strands into nanofibers to create a new material that gives off a white light.
The good news doesn’t just end there, as the researchers believe that tweaking the ratio of dyes can also change the color and the quality of the light emitted from the bulb. While other scientists have tried to achieve the same results with acrylic polymers like silica nanoparticles and block copolymers to alter the color of light given off by a LED bulb, this new research holds more promise as it uses DNA, which is far stronger and comes from an organic source.
The technology does seem promising and could eventually change the way people look at LEDs, but since these researchers haven’t made a statement about the cost and the efficiency of these bulbs, which we expect to be much more than normal LED bulbs, the technology might need some more work before these salmon LED bulbs can be a part of your living room.
Via: FastCompany/TechnologyReview
