NanoRobot, Just a Little

DEFINITION – A nanorobot is a tiny machine designed to perform a specific task or tasks repeatedly and with precision at nanoscale dimensions, that is, dimensions of a few nanometers (nm) or less, where 1 nm = 10-9 meter. Nanorobots have potential applications in the assembly and maintenance of sophisticated systems. Nanorobots might function at the atomic or molecular level to build devices, machines, or circuits, a process known as molecular manufacturing. Nanorobots might also produce copies of themselves to replace worn-out units, a process called self-replication.

Nanorobots are of special interest to researchers in the medical industry. This has given rise to the field of nanomedicine. It has been suggested that a fleet of nanorobots might serve as antibodies or antiviral agents in patients with compromised immune systems, or in diseases that do not respond to more conventional measures. There are numerous other potential medical applications, including repair of damaged tissue, unblocking of arteries affected by plaques, and perhaps the construction of complete replacement body organs.

A major advantage of nanorobots is thought to be their durability. In theory, they can remain operational for years, decades, or centuries. Nanoscale systems can also operate much faster than their larger counterparts because displacements are smaller; this allows mechanical and electrical events to occur in less time at a given speed.

U.S. and Chinese scientists say they’ve created a two-armed nanorobot that can manipulate molecules within a device built from DNA.

Researchers at New York University and China’s Nanjing University said the programmable unit allows researchers to capture and maneuver patterns on a scale that is unprecedented.

New York University Professor Nadrian Seeman, one of the study’s co-authors, said the two-armed nanorobotic device enables the creation of new DNA structures, thereby potentially serving as a factory for assembling the building blocks of new materials. With that capability, it has the potential to develop new synthetic fibers, advance the encryption of information and improve DNA-scaffolded computer assembly, he said.

In the two-armed nanorobotic device, the arms face each other, ready to capture molecules that make up a DNA sequence. Using set strands that bind to its molecules, the arms are then able to change the structure of the device. This changes the sticky ends available to capture a new pattern component.

The researchers said their device performs with 100 percent accuracy, as confirmed by atomic force microscopy that permits features a few billionths of a meter to be visualized.

The research that included Nanjing Professor Shou-Jun Xiao and graduate students Hongzhou Gu and Jie Chao, is reported in the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

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