Solar Cells Made From Bioluminescent Jellyfish

An anonymous reader writes "Swedish researchers have devised a way to turn bioluminescent jellyfish into solar cells. It works like this: the green fluorescent protein (GFP) that makes the Aequorea victoria glow is simply dripped onto a silicon dioxide substrate between two electrodes. The protein works itself into strands between the electrodes. When ultraviolet light is shined on the circuit, voila, the GFP absorbs photons and emits electrons, generating a current. The GFP-powered cells work like dye-sensitized solar cells, but don't require expensive materials such as titanium dioxide."

output?

[Taibhsear]

What's the output on these new cells? The article mentioned the efficiency of algae cells but not these bioluminescent cells.

Expensive materials, whaa?

[smellsofbikes]

Titanium dioxide is dirt cheap, like $2 USD/kilogram cheap. Now, this might use some higher-purity version, but if they're using a "silicon dioxide substrate" they're already spending as much on reasonable SiO2 and its processing than the TiO2 is going to cost.

I think it's cool research -- self-assembling stuff rocks -- but I'm dubious about their claim of the effectiveness of that particular cost reduction.

Re:output?

[Anonymous Coward]

Commercial crystalline solar cells are typically rated to last 20-25 years and are often manufacturer-warrantied as such. Is that what you consider "pretty quickly"?

Re:Could be worse

[Anonymous Coward]

Stop harvesting everything from the ocean for exploitation by humans. In fact, harvesting humans from undesirable countries much be a better use of resources since their reproduction can be efficiently controlled and regulated within the corporate captives easily constructed near the place of work.

But are they any good at all

[fnj]

What is the efficiency of these particular organic solar cells under ordinary solar radiation? What is their lifetime before the organic matter decays?