Design and Applications of Self-Powered Chemical Nanobots

Presenters Ayusman Sen, Pennsylvania State University Ayusman Sen is a professor of chemistry at Pennsylvania State University. His specialties are nanomotors, catalysis, and new materials. He received a $25,000 award in 1984 from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. He has explained what he calls his own “irrational interest” in science with a quote from… Read More   Presentation: Design and Applications of Self Powered Nanobots Ayusman is attempting to design synthetic active matter that exhibits emergent properties based on interactions, driven far from equilibriumIt must be able to code and decode informationSelf generated energy fields are of interest here – catalysis and asymmetryThe structure and function of systems materials must be investigated to produce nanomachines that can perform completely unique featsApplications include motion-based targeting, nanomotor information processing, tandem catalysis, analyte-triggered pumping, highly sensitive microsensors, and tuning rheology of fluidsEnzyme motors can accelerate diffusion or perform chemotaxis, letting them move against equilibriumNanomachine metabolons could create efficient metabolic systemsThe most accessible fuel in the body is glucose, but having motors that use multiple sources of fuel would be idealEnzyme pumps could be used for drug delivery or drug concentration against equilibrium in the presence of substrateAyusman has a vision for a multi-investigator center for autonomous fluidic devices which is multilayered, translating theory into a technology platformThere was speculation on how to build in memory to the nanomachine systems, but it is currently a big challenge for the field