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Archive for January, 2012

DNA motor navigates network of DNA tracks

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 31st, 2012

Scientists at Kyoto University and the University of Oxford have combined DNA origami and DNA motors to take another step toward programmed artificial molecular assembly lines.

Will 3D printers lead toward nanofactories?

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 29th, 2012

Two competing companies have introduced 3D printers for the personal manufacture of complex digitally-designed plastic consumer items. Will this start a trend toward personal digital manufacture of increasingly complex items?

Panel recommends research to manage health and environmental risks of nanomaterials

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 28th, 2012

A National Academy of Sciences panel has recommended a four-part research effort focused on preventing and managing any potential health and environmental risks of nanomaterials.

Crowd-sourced protein design a promising path to advanced nanotechnology

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 24th, 2012

Foldit game players have again out-performed scientists in protein design, this time improving the design of a protein designed from scratch to catalyze Diels-Alder cycloadditions.

Foresight co-founder among panelists discussing role of technology in human existence

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 23rd, 2012

Human life after advanced nanotechnology has been developed will be fundamentally different from life up until that point.

Magnetic storage systems shrink from a million atoms per bit to twelve

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 13th, 2012

An array of 96 iron atoms on a copper nitride surface, assembled using an STM and used to write a byte, demonstrates how small magnetic storage could shrink and may lead to novel nanomaterials for quantum computers.

Advanced nanofactories in twenty years?

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 12th, 2012

An article in The Guardian quotes Christine Peterson and Robert Freitas on the vision of molecular manufacturing. Freitas is quoted as expecting that the development of nanofactories could be done in 20 years for “on the order of” one billion dollars.

First Master's of Science in Nanomedicine degree program in US announced

Posted by Jim Lewis on January 6th, 2012

The first Master’s of Science in Nanomedicine degree program in US is announced. As an example of the rapidly developing potential of nanomedicine, a novel type of nanoparticle succeeded in two different mouse models in destroying a type of brain cancer that had previously been completely resistant to all treatment attempts.