Robert A. Freitas Jr. brings to our attention a major step on the road to advanced nanotech, published a couple weeks ago in Science (abstract). He writes: This paper reports purely mechanical-based covalent bond-making and bond-breaking (true mechanosynthesis) involving atom by atom substitution of silicon (Si) atoms for tin (Sn) atoms in an Sn monolayer [...]

On 5 June 2008, Robert Freitas and Ralph Merkle of the Institute for Molecular Manufacturing (IMM) submitted to IEEE Spectrum the following response to the article “Rupturing the Nanotech Rapture” by Richard A.L. Jones (IEEE Spectrum, June 2008 issue). Their brief letter is reproduced below because Spectrum has chosen to publish only one of the [...]

DARPA and a Texas fund have awarded $9.7M to investigate one nanotech path toward atomically precise manufacturing.

On the Editor’s Page at Medical DeviceLinkCom, Shana Leonard writes about the crucial need for design and modeling techniques to guide nanosystems development toward fabrication, and cites the Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems. From “A Different Kind of Intelligent Design” Drawing from numerous workshops held from 2005 to 2007, Battelle (Columbus, OH) and the Foresight [...]

Advanced nanotech might benefit if proteins could be arrayed on a surface so that they could be quickly and easily scanned for function or interactions with other molecules.

A new concept for a very cheap plastic nanotech memory has been developed by combining the favorable properties of ferroelectrics and semiconductors.

Will nanotechnology culminate with diamondoid nanorobots produced in nanofactories by atomically precise mechanosynthesis, or with “soft” machines that mimic the way biological molecular machines work?

Sunday, May 18th at 7:00 PM Pacific / 10:00 PM Eastern, FastForward Radio will feature a distinguished panel discussing the Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems. The panel will discuss the background and history of the roadmap, and explore how it will serve to help realize these horizons. The panelists are: Christine Peterson, Acting President of [...]

A major milestone along the protein design path to productive nanosytems and advanced nanotechnology has been achieved—the design by computational methods of enzymes that catalyze reactions for which biological enzymes do not exist.

The American Chemical Society has awarded Nadrian Seeman its Nichols Medal for establishing the field of structural DNA nanotechnology, nearly 13 years after the Foresight Institute awarded Seeman the 1995 Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology.

SME has let us know that Foresight members get a discount to their upcoming Nanomanufacturing conference in the Boston area on April 22-23, which features three sessions of special interest: Understanding Nanotechnology, workshop led by Tihamer Toth-Fejel of General Dynamics, to cover topics including: brief history of nanotechnology, taxonomies and roadmaps, near-term passive structures, medium-term [...]

Below are comments from nanotechnology experts on yesterday’s release of the Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems, a new roadmap for development of atomically precise manufacturing from Battelle and Foresight: Jim Von Ehr, CEO, Zyvex Labs “For the first time, progress across all key nanoscale disciplines has been brought together into R&D pathways leading to atomically-precise [...]

Dear Foresight members and friends: It is with great pleasure that we announce the availability of the first Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems. Some of you have seen earlier drafts, but the document is now official. Files can be downloaded at: http://foresight.org/roadmaps Below is the text of the press release going out today. We look [...]

Korea.net informs us of challenging nanotechnology goals for that country: An ambitious government plan seeks to make Korea one of the top three countries for nanotechnology by 2020… “By securing more than 50 of the finest international nanotechnologies by 2020, Korea will create a new industry to emerge as a top three nanotechnology power and [...]

Regular Nanodot readers know that we at Foresight focus more on longer-term nanotechnology, especially atomically-precise manufacturing. Yet, we joined with other nonprofits and industry to call for a better plan to address near-term nanomaterial environmental, health, and safety issues. From today’s joint press release by Environmental Defense and Dupont: (Washington, DC – January 16, 2008) [...]

An article in Small Times by Paul Burrows of Pacific Northwest National Laboratory covers the Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems (TRPN) aimed at Atomically-Precise Manufacturing (APM), a joint project of Foresight Nanotech Institute and Battelle, funded by the Waitt Family Foundation and by Sun Microsystems. Some excerpts: The Foresight-Battelle roadmap aimed to address this “vision [...]

A draft version of the Productive Nanosystems Roadmap was distributed to attendees at the similarly-named conference (PDF) in DC on Oct. 9-10. Now participants at the Foresight Vision Weekend will be critiquing and planning expansions of this first roadmap for atomically-precise manufacturing. IMPORTANT: REGISTRATION DEADLINE IS 4 PM, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 31. In addition to the [...]

Registration for Foresight’s Nov. 3-4 Vision Weekend focused on nanotechnology and other advanced technologies — traditionally restricted to Foresight Senior Associates — is being opened to the general public this year as an experiment. Space is limited and participants are advised to register very soon. To warm up for our Sat/Sun afternoon unconference, in the [...]

This year as an experiment we are opening up a subset of seats at the Nov. 3-4 Foresight Vision Weekend to members of special groups such as Nanodot readers. The event is usually open only to Foresight Senior Associate members: http://www.foresight.org/SrAssoc/2007 I encourage you to check out this event. Since it is an Unconference, you [...]

Mike Treder brings this to our attention: Today and tomorrow, CRN is reporting on presentations at an important conference on Productive Nanosystems: Launching the Technology Roadmap. Chris Phoenix is providing live blog coverage for us… I checked this out and Chris is indeed blogging the conference heavily. If you can’t be here with us, reading [...]