This last year has been very interesting for me, as I delve into the world of nanotechnology. But even with my limited background in the field, I am as frustrated as you must be with this. After looking into the programs I mentioned before, even though the words are there on paper, their work is leaning more towards mass nanomanufacturing of fullerenes and advanced measurement technologies. While some of their work may be applicable to the problem of creating a molecular assembler, their motivation is elsewhere.

I do think that this is too important of an issue for the US to overlook, though. One can only speculate whether these types of experiments are going on in secrecy somewhere. I would bet that they are, but it will be a long time before we hear about them. Of course, this doesn’t help the rest of us today, does it.

Mike

The best thing I do know if is our own Technology Roadmap for Productive Nanosystems, but it does not yet include an experimental component. –Christine

I am not deeply entrenched in the research scene in the US, but I can see that in the US, the current NNI Strategic Plan, which was embarked upon in December of 2004, defines seven major subject categories of investment, or Program Content Areas (PCAs), which are viewed as areas critical to the accomplishment of NNI goals. One of these PCAs is Nanomanufacturing, which ‘includes R&D and integration of ultra-miniaturized top-down processes and increasingly complex bottom-up or self-assembly processes.’ Also, a supplement to the Presidents fiscal year 2006 budget called ‘The National Nanotechnology Initiative: Research and Development Leading to a Revolution in Technology and Industry’ specifically identifies facilities in the National Institute of Standards and Technology and the National Science Foundation that emphasize research in areas that would make molecular assembly possible, including the development of a ‘database of properties of atomic and molecular interactions with various materials to facilitate autonomous atom-by-atom assembly of nanostructures’ and the development of ‘high-accuracy positioners.’ One of these facilities, the National Nanomanufacturing and Nanometerology Facility, cantered at the Advanced Measurement Laboratory opened and began its initial operations in Gaithersburg, Maryland in 2005.

Investments from the US NNI, US States, and US industry into nano R&D are more than any other nation in the world. I welcome comments to the contrary, but I refuse to believe that the US has just sat on its laurels and overlooked trying to figure out advanced nanotechnology and a bottom-up approach to nanomanufacturing.