Designing Nanostructures at the Interface between Biomedical and Physical Systems Conference Focus Group Summaries (2005) / Chapter Skim
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An In Vivo Nanofactory: The Medicine of the Future
An In Vivo Nanofactory: The Medicine of the Future
Pages 53-60
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From page 53... ...
processes to create a desired step in such an assembly process, such as to create a nano chemical factory to synthesize three amino acids in a row, to synthesize a drug, or to perform a function such as closing a shutter or generating voltage across particular nanocontacts. Science has made progress along these lines: cells are remarkably efficient at catalyzing a wide range of chemical reactions (Ref 2)
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From page 54... ...
· First, the group should decide what the ultimate product is, such as, for example: -- Create an engineered method of effective remediation of con taminated ground water, where the nanoproduct can learn what the dangerous contaminants are, grow the machinery to neutral ize them, and then afterwards disassemble into environmentally friendly materials; -- Create an engineered method for creation of `smart' clothes that will sense the environment and automatically adjust their breathability, UV blocking ability, water repellency, toughness, cooling and heating or germicidal abilities; or, -- Feel free to create your own grand challenge. · Next, pick one or several limiting steps in the manufacture of such a product and come up with a scientific plan to potentially accomplish them, including what scientific knowledge or engineering prowess we currently lack, and thus would need to learn in order to accomplish this task.
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From page 55... ...
34:231-238. FOCUS GROUP SUMMARY Summary written by: Kiryn Haslinger, Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry, New York University Focus group members: · Placid Ferreira, Director, Center for Nanoscale Chemical-Electrical-Mechanical Manufacturing Systems, University of Illinois at UrbanaChampaign · Richard Groff, Postdoctoral Research Engineer, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, University of California, Berkeley · Kiryn Haslinger, Graduate Student, Department of Chemistry, New York University
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From page 56... ...
Rubloff, Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Maryland · Robert Westervelt, Director, Nanoscale Science and Engineering Center, Harvard University · Michael Wong, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Rice University · Minami Yoda, Associate Professor, School of Mechanical Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology Summary Tiny solutions for big problems When great minds in modern science convene to identify and solve the big problems facing the world, it is impossible for them to disregard flaws in human health. Disease comes in many forms, but consistently confers pain and suffering on individuals.
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From page 57... ...
A nano-"mobile defense force" Before delving into the specific aspects of disease chemistry, the group used their engineering prowess to describe a prototype for their powerful nanofactory, a weapons factory a billion times smaller than a single bullet, that could single-handedly wage war against human disease. A sketch of the nanofactory highlights six basic components.
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From page 58... ...
This disorder results from a common genetic mutation that affects 1 in 10,000 individuals. There is no cure; and the only remedy is a simple dietary measure that urges individuals genetically predisposed to PKU to avoid eating foods high in phenylalanine or its precursors, such as diet soda due to the product aspartame.
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From page 59... ...
, to specifically target and kill cancerous tumors; and insulin precursors that could be produced and self regulated to relieve diabetes sufferers of daily injections. Nanofactories could also be used to withdraw unwanted materials from a biological environment -- toxic chemicals resulting from a drug overdose or excess LDLs (low density lipoproteins)
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From page 60... ...
On the other hand, therapeutic nanofactories could be considered to be "politically correct" stem-cells, as they can be created to provide distinct therapy to various parts of the body selectively, without dealing with the matter of using discarded embryos. In addition, while the mechanism of stem cells is not yet well understood, the nanofactories present an intelligent alternative because they will be able to regulate and correct metabolic processes in a planned and organized way.
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