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Directions In Nanotech
aisnota writes: "Cypress Semicondutor buys Silicon Light Machines and makes a move towards microelectromechanical systems applicable to fiber-optic networks. However, they will be able to leap into nanotechnology with this purchase and Sony is buying into the technology in a big way for the solid revenue stream. Isonics is providing pure isotopes that should also assist in nanotechnologies with pure Silicon-28 succeeds in proving that pure isotopes perform with cooler thermal profiles. "
Considering that some of the best machines are proteins whose shapes change under different conditions (such as the proteins performing active transport across cell membranes or the enzymes which assist in the metabolization of glucose), it's only reasonable to assume that given enough technological proficiency, humans will begin to manufacture nanotechnology at this level of sophistication. Considering its advantages, why shouldn't "nanobots" work much like arrays of smaller more specialized machines (i.e., synthetic organelles) contained within a capsule or membrane? (i.e., a synthetic cell)
Academic insitutions like universities are doing lots of research into nanotechnologies, mainly in chemistry and materials science departments. For instance, a professor in my university (Delaware) got his Ph.D. because he made a miniature cube. That is to say, he formed chains of DNA (DNA is our hereditary code, but physically its a polymer molecule. that means its made up of a series of repeating units, like a chain of colored paper clips.) he formed these DNA strands into a cube, by picking the DNA parts, the bases, (different colored paperclips) so that they would combine in the right way and make this cube.
So what, you say? So some crazy chemist can make a cube out of DNA... well the implication can be astounding. Those self-replicating nano-bots that people like so much, well they might be possible in a few hundred years. The idea is, if you can design something to work on a people sized scale (i dont thinke we have any self replicating people-bots) then you could design these things on a smaller scale.
As far as the current state of the art, people are still trying to implement things as simple as tiny circuits. THe idea is to build a framwork with this DNA technology, and connect things like conducting wire to the framework to build circuits. This way you could build a molecule sized circuit. This sort of thing hasnt been realized yet, so it gives you an idea for how far away from actually getting real nano-machines we are.
Hope I helped someone a little .....
J. David Pajerowski \
UD Chem EngineeringXAgainst Outlook Mail
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