As described — briefly, as one would expect — in the May 2006 Nanotech Briefs (subscription only), the EU is funding a nanomotor construction kit project. From their press release:
“A promising interdisciplinary approach combines research methods of biology, physics, chemistry, computing, system theory and engineering into a “synthetic biology”. The EU has also recognised this, and has started up the NEST (New and Emerging Science and Technology) programme – an initiative aimed at supporting unconventional and visionary research in this field. An international consortium, co-ordinated by Prof. Helmut Grubmüller, has now been awarded funding for a research plan to pioneer the tailored development and production of artificial systems according to the blueprints of biological functional units. Their ambitious project NANOMOT aims at developing nanomotors, and at joining up them and their components in a system resembling a construction kit.”
Regarding funding level: “The financial support from the EU will total ~2.3 million Euros for a period of three years.” Unclear whether this means “over three years” or “per year for a period of three years.” I’m guessing the former. The project has a good logo, which succeeds in communicating “European” “molecular” “machine”. Kudos to the logo designer. —Christine
