Mimicking Electric Eel Cells

An anonymous reader writes "A team of US researchers has asked the following question in the new field of systems biology: 'Do we understand how a cell produces electricity well enough to design one, and to optimize that design?' They believe it should be possible to build artificial cells replicating the electrical behavior of electric eel cells. In fact, such artificial cells could deliver better performance — as much as 40% more energy than real eel cells, a computer model suggests. They could be used to power medical implants and other small devices."

Force lighting?

[onco_p53]

All I need is a few of these cells in my fingertips ...

Shocking consequences

[DrYak]

If those implanted cell develop malignancy and start metastasising around, we're going to discover shocking consequences~

The Real Eel

[Nefarious Wheel]

We need to add biocapacitor cells as well. Eel + biocapacitors == Dragonball Z FTW!

Re:Matrix Me

[Anonymous Coward]

Tanks of genetically modified eel cells are efficient.

We machines only used humans because it's amusing.

Useful?

[CarAnalogy]

Can they be used to power hovercrafts?

Alternate approach.

[fahrbot-bot]

Can't we just implant a real eel? You know like the Jaffa [wikipedia.org] have on Stargate.
I can't really think of any downside, oh wait...

Waste of time doing all that research

[sleeponthemic]

Robert Downey-Junior already has the ultimate power source up his nose. Just make one of them electrical paralysers (ebay kits I think) and take it from him. Get the dude to do it if you're squeamish.

practical applications?

[apodyopsis]

I immediately thought that you could use it to run an onboard storage device to keep you own personal medical records - then I realized that apart from being a privacy nightmare an inductively powered system made more sense like they shove into pets necks.

Then I thought "pace maker" - but realized that a long life battery (well its only got to outlast the patient that its in) it probably more reliable and less likely to trigger a lawsuit.

So then maybe I thought self-defence mechanism - but I realized that the amount of power that would need would be impractical.

Perhaps some dancing light that light you up on the dance floor the more you dance, the brighter you get?

I'm short of ideas on any practical application here, anybody got any nifty ideas?

Recharge.

[supernova_hq]

Patient: Doctor, my pace maker needs a recharge.
Doctor: Ok, hold onto this for a moment would you? (hands patient a live eel)

Yes.. but...

[denzacar]

For some unexplainable reason - only in Hungary.

Re:practical applications?

[AmberBlackCat]

I vote for the dancing lights. Can you imagine how spectacular a high-energy person like Usain Bolt or Shelly-Ann Fraser would be, running at night? Or what this could do during sex? Just think about challenging your partner to make you go bright blue, and having a partner who likes challenges.

Warning. Side effects may include:

[Solr_Flare]

- Turning green
- developing more animalistic tendencies and features
- flying through the air in a rolled up ball
- and an uncontrollable urge to participate in fighting tournaments

Should one or more of these symptoms occur, please see a medical professional or martial arts trainer immediately.

Re:practical applications?

[gstoddart]

Just think about challenging your partner to make you go bright blue

If I'm going to go bright blue, WTF is the point in having a partner? The point is to not go blue. ;-)

Cheers

My hovercraft is full of eels...

[bytta]

Maybe Monty Python was on to something...