NANO TECHNOLOGY

Something to think about Imagine being able to cure cancer by drinking a medicine stirred into your favorite fruit juice. Imagine a supercomputer no bigger than a human cell. Imagine a four-person, surface-to-orbit spacecraft no larger or more expensive than the family car. These are just a few products expected from Nanotechnology Imagine being able to cure cancer by drinking a medicine stirred into your favorite fruit juice. Imagine a supercomputer no bigger than a human cell. Imagine a four-person, surface-to-orbit spacecraft no larger or more expensive than the family car. These are just a few products expected from Nanotechnology

What is Nanotechnology The “shotgun” marriage of chemistry and engineering The “shotgun” marriage of chemistry and engineering Nanotechnology is molecular manufacturing or, more simply, building things one atom or molecule at a time with programmed nanoscopic robot arms. Nanotechnology is molecular manufacturing or, more simply, building things one atom or molecule at a time with programmed nanoscopic robot arms.

Nanotechnology… A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Utilizing the well understood chemical properties of atoms and molecules (how they "stick" together), nanotechnology proposes the construction of novel molecular devices possessing extraordinary properties. Utilizing the well understood chemical properties of atoms and molecules (how they "stick" together), nanotechnology proposes the construction of novel molecular devices possessing extraordinary properties. The trick is to manipulate atoms individually and place them exactly where needed to produce the desired structure. The trick is to manipulate atoms individually and place them exactly where needed to produce the desired structure.

Cont… Proteins are molecular machines that routinely manipulate individual atoms. Proteins have physical structure and functionality;. Protein engineers can now synthesize all 20 common amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. Proteins are molecular machines that routinely manipulate individual atoms. Proteins have physical structure and functionality;. Protein engineers can now synthesize all 20 common amino acids, which are the building blocks of proteins. They have even begun to design synthetic proteins with novel properties. Scientists are racing to catalog the functions of proteins, how they fold, and discover properties of synthetic proteins. They have even begun to design synthetic proteins with novel properties. Scientists are racing to catalog the functions of proteins, how they fold, and discover properties of synthetic proteins.

Cont… Now imagine placing a custom protein on the tip of an atomic resolution microscope to grab a specific molecule out of a chemical solution and physically place that molecule at a specific sight on a nanotechnology machine. Now imagine placing a custom protein on the tip of an atomic resolution microscope to grab a specific molecule out of a chemical solution and physically place that molecule at a specific sight on a nanotechnology machine.

Early Goals The goal of early nanotechnology is to produce the first nano-sized robot arm capable of manipulating atoms and molecules into a useful product or copies of itself. The goal of early nanotechnology is to produce the first nano-sized robot arm capable of manipulating atoms and molecules into a useful product or copies of itself. One nano assembler working atom by atom would be rather slow because most desirable products (baseballs, cars, and the like) are made of trillions and trillions of atoms. However, such an assembler robot arm could makes copies of itself and those copies make copies. Soon you have trillions of assemblers controlled by nano super computers working in parallel assembling objects quickly. One nano assembler working atom by atom would be rather slow because most desirable products (baseballs, cars, and the like) are made of trillions and trillions of atoms. However, such an assembler robot arm could makes copies of itself and those copies make copies. Soon you have trillions of assemblers controlled by nano super computers working in parallel assembling objects quickly.

More about Assemblers The assembler will be capable of holding and positioning reactive compounds in order to control the precise location at which chemical reactions take place. This general approach should allow the construction of large atomically precise objects by a sequence of precisely controlled chemical reactions, building objects molecule by molecule. The assembler will be capable of holding and positioning reactive compounds in order to control the precise location at which chemical reactions take place. This general approach should allow the construction of large atomically precise objects by a sequence of precisely controlled chemical reactions, building objects molecule by molecule. An assembler will build an arbitrary molecular structure following a sequence of instructions. The assembler, however, will provide three- dimensional positional and full orientational control over the molecular component being added to a growing complex molecular structure. An assembler will build an arbitrary molecular structure following a sequence of instructions. The assembler, however, will provide three- dimensional positional and full orientational control over the molecular component being added to a growing complex molecular structure. In addition, the assembler will be able to form any one of several different kinds of chemical bonds. In addition, the assembler will be able to form any one of several different kinds of chemical bonds.

Cont… In addition, the assembler will be able to form any one of several different kinds of chemical bonds. In addition, the assembler will be able to form any one of several different kinds of chemical bonds.

The Use of Vaccums How are you going to make it so that the wrong atoms don’t collide with the wrong atoms…? How are you going to make it so that the wrong atoms don’t collide with the wrong atoms…? The use of a hard vacuum allows highly reactive intermediate structures to be used, e.g., a variety of radicals with one or more dangling bonds. Because the intermediates are in a vacuum, and because their position is controlled (as opposed to solutions, where the position and orientation of a molecule are largely random), such radicals will not react with the wrong thing for the very simple reason that they will not come into contact with the wrong thing. The use of a hard vacuum allows highly reactive intermediate structures to be used, e.g., a variety of radicals with one or more dangling bonds. Because the intermediates are in a vacuum, and because their position is controlled (as opposed to solutions, where the position and orientation of a molecule are largely random), such radicals will not react with the wrong thing for the very simple reason that they will not come into contact with the wrong thing.

Applications… Microscopic computers, billions of times faster than today. Microscopic computers, billions of times faster than today. Controlling machines that patrol our bodies as artificial immune systems. Controlling machines that patrol our bodies as artificial immune systems. Machines that can repair cells on a molecular scale, that perhaps through manipulating DNA, could stop or reverse the aging process. Machines that can repair cells on a molecular scale, that perhaps through manipulating DNA, could stop or reverse the aging process.

Cont… How about self assembling consumer goods made in your own garage from atoms pumped out of the atmosphere. How about self assembling consumer goods made in your own garage from atoms pumped out of the atmosphere. Space travel safe, inexpensive, and accessible to all Space travel safe, inexpensive, and accessible to all How about the end of famine and starvation with self-assembling automatic green houses allowing most of today's farmland to be returned to its' natural state How about the end of famine and starvation with self-assembling automatic green houses allowing most of today's farmland to be returned to its' natural state No more pollution and automatic cleanup of already existing pollution No more pollution and automatic cleanup of already existing pollution

Social and Ethical Problems Today, the last samples of smallpox virus are locked away in a vault in Atlanta at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tomorrow, getting smallpox may be as simple as forwarding an attachment with the smallpox DNA code to a $5,000 DNA synthesizer. Today, the last samples of smallpox virus are locked away in a vault in Atlanta at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Tomorrow, getting smallpox may be as simple as forwarding an attachment with the smallpox DNA code to a $5,000 DNA synthesizer. The portability of DNA also means that where you once thought of your DNA as a part of your body, tomorrow the DNA from any of your cells might be used to make a cloned embryo or to make a big sack of cloned tissue for transplantation. The portability of DNA also means that where you once thought of your DNA as a part of your body, tomorrow the DNA from any of your cells might be used to make a cloned embryo or to make a big sack of cloned tissue for transplantation.

Cont… Is it ethical to move life around this way, playing mix-and- match with bits from different animals and species? Is it ethical to move life around this way, playing mix-and- match with bits from different animals and species? Should we create entirely new kinds of life from the molecule up? Should we create entirely new kinds of life from the molecule up?