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Current Results of Our Research
These pages, marked with
GREEN headings, are published for
comment and criticism. These
are not our final findings; some of these opinions will probably change.
LOG OF UPDATES
CRN Research: Overview of Current Findings
Thirty Essential Nanotechnology Studies - #10
Overview of all studies: Because of the largely
unexpected transformational power of molecular manufacturing, it is urgent to
understand the issues raised. To date, there has not been anything approaching
an adequate study of these issues. CRN's recommended series of
thirty essential studies
is organized into five sections, covering fundamental theory, possible
technological capabilities, bootstrapping potential, product capabilities, and
policy questions. Several preliminary conclusions are stated, and because our
understanding points to a crisis, a parallel process of conducting the studies
is urged.
CRN is actively looking for researchers interested in
performing or assisting with this work. Please contact CRN Research Director
Chris Phoenix if you would like more information or if you have comments on
the proposed studies.
| Study #10 |
What
will be required to develop nucleic acid manufacturing and products? |
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This study will explore the development of nucleic acid manufacturing.
UPDATE:
Frank Boehm published an extensive
"Investigation of Nucleic Acid/DNA-Based Manufacturing"
to the Wise-Nano.org site on March 24, 2005, as a response to this study's question.
|
| Subquestion |
What is
required (research and software) to automate the design, production, and
characterization of nucleic acid molecules directly from specification of
shape and properties? |
| Preliminary answer |
We are close to
this today; see the
single-strand
octahedron announcement. |
| Subquestion |
What
actuation techniques (chemical, electrical, other method?) are available?
How fast, reliably, forcefully can they operate? |
| Preliminary answer |
DNA-conjugation
actuation is fairly slow but very programmable. Actuation by redox sliding
rings (catenane, rotaxane) is faster and allows either chemical or
electrical actuation. This can provide significant (~nN?) force; see the "elevator". Several
bio-based motors are being investigated. These are switched by simple
chemicals and may be hard to select or control. |
| Subquestion |
What
chemistry (steric mechanism) could be used to allow programmable
fabrication? How small could the selectable units be? (Atoms? Nucleic acid
monomers? Short chains?) Can the selected fabrication chemistry produce the
required mechanism? |
| Preliminary answer |
Good questions... |
| Subquestion |
How much
additional design would be required to scale up/duplicate a fabrication
system for large-scale production? |
| Preliminary answer |
The system might
be attached to beads for large surface area. This might be more, or less,
difficult than scaling up other surface-catalyzed chemical synthesis
processes. |
| Subquestion |
How much
additional design would be required for a scaled-up system to produce
monolithic heterogeneous products? |
| Preliminary answer |
This might require
nanoscale computation to control local actuators, and better attachment,
localization, and control of the individual production systems. Biomimetic
(e.g. amorphous computing) and mechanistic approaches should both be
investigated; very little work has been done to date. |
| Conclusion |
This deserves further investigation.
|
| Other studies |
1.
Is
mechanically guided chemistry a viable basis for a manufacturing technology?
2. To what extent is molecular manufacturing counterintuitive and
underappreciated in a way that causes underestimation of its importance?
3. What is
the performance and potential of diamondoid machine-phase chemical
manufacturing and products?
4. What is the performance and potential of biological programmable
manufacturing and products?
5. What is the performance and potential of nucleic acid
manufacturing and products?
6. What other chemistries and options should be studied?
7. What
applicable sensing, manipulation, and fabrication tools exist?
8. What will be required to develop diamondoid machine-phase chemical
manufacturing and products?
9. What will be required to develop biological programmable
manufacturing and products?
11. How rapidly will the cost of development decrease?
12. How could an effective development program be structured?
13. What is
the probable capability of the manufacturing system?
14. How capable will the products be?
15. What will the products cost?
16. How rapidly could products be designed?
17. Which
of today's products will the system make more accessible or cheaper?
18. What new products will the system make accessible?
19. What impact will the system have on production and distribution?
20. What effect will molecular manufacturing have on military and
government capability and planning, considering the implications of arms
races and unbalanced development?
21. What effect will this have on macro- and microeconomics?
22. How can proliferation and use of nanofactories and their products
be limited?
23. What effect will this have on policing?
24. What beneficial or desirable effects could this have?
25. What effect could this have on civil rights and liberties?
26. What are the disaster/disruption scenarios?
27. What effect could this have on geopolitics?
28. What policies toward development of molecular manufacturing does
all this suggest?
29. What policies toward administration of
molecular manufacturing does all this suggest?
30. How can appropriate policy be made and implemented?
|
| Studies should begin
immediately. |
The situation is
extremely urgent. The stakes are unprecedented, and the world is unprepared.
The basic findings of these studies should be verified as rapidly as
possible (months, not years). Policy preparation and planning for
implementation, likely including a crash development program, should begin
immediately. |
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