Nanodot Blog
Our next Seminar: Artificial General Intelligences & Corporations @Internet Archive
Seminar on Artificial General Intelligences & Corporations hosted by Foresight Institute@ Internet Archive Click here to access the ticket sale. Even if we don't know yet how to align Artificial General Intelligences with our goals, we do [...]
Accelerate your work in 2018: Fellowship, Prizes, Workshop
We’re thrilled to open up applications for the 2018 Foresight Fellowship, Feynman Prizes and Student Award, and Spring workshop starting now! The 2018 Foresight Fellowship After the excellent strides by our inaugural class [...]
Unrelated de novo enzyme replaces essential enzyme in cell
Iron-rich medium supports the growth of E. coli engineered to no longer have a natural Fes enzyme. They form small, unhealthy, red colonies because they accumulate iron bound to enterobactin, and barely have enough [...]
2015 Feynman Prize winner named 2018 Australian of the Year
UNSW Sydney scientist Professor Michelle Simmons, the 2018 Australian of the Year, is presented with her award by the Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. CREDIT: Salty Dingo It is always a pleasure when those [...]
Ultrafast DNA robotic arm: A step toward a nanofactory?
Electric fields drive the rotating nano-crane – 100,000 times faster than previous methods. (Image: Enzo Kopperger / TUM) Rotation of the arm between two docking points (red and blue). (Image: Enzo Kopperger [...]
Design of hyperstable constrained peptides
Sixteen topologies of de novo designed hyperstable constrained peptides. Credit: Baker lab, University of Washington Protein design has been one of the major paths from current fabrication technology toward the goal of general purpose, [...]
Changing the world with a nanofabricator that could make anything
Image Credit: 3DSculptor / Shutterstock.com The Foresight Institute was founded in 1986 on a vision presented by Eric Drexler in which the ultimate manufacturing technology uses a machine termed a nanofactory or nanofabricator to [...]
Mechanical communication in a rotaxane molecular machine
The structural formula of the rotaxane 1H3+. Above: The dibenzo[24]crown-8 macrocycle circles the dibenzylammonium site on the left end of the axle, which had been protonated by the addition of acid. Below: With the [...]
Funding announcements for Atomically Precise Manufacturing
Credit - energy.gov/science-innovation Longtime Foresight member, and since October 2012 Technology Manager, Advanced Manufacturing Office, U.S. Department of Energy, David Forrest passes along these funding announcements about new opportunities at DOE: Those of you [...]
Building atom-by-atom on insulator at room temperature
It’s not red and white, but the atoms are arranged in the shape of a Swiss cross (Credit: Physics department, University of Basel) If the above picture reminds you of something like it some [...]
Blockchains, Cryptoeconomics, and Emerging Technology Risks
Blockchain formation. The main chain (black) consists of the longest series of blocks from the genesis block (green) to the current block. Orphan blocks (purple) exist outside of the main chain. Image Credit: Theymos [...]
Cyber, Nano, and AGI Risks: Computer Security and Effective Altruism
Christine Peterson, Foresight Institute Co-Founder and Projects Director Foresight Institute Co-Founder and Projects Director Christine Peterson (full biography) was interviewed recently by 80000 Hours, “an independent nonprofit funded by individual donors” and founded [...]
Prototype quantum computer gives small molecule quantum simulation
Optical micrograph of the superconducting quantum processor with seven qubits. Image credit: Kandala et al. Nature We have pointed to examples of how atomically precise nanotechnology might open the road to developing quantum computers [...]
Molecular robot builds four types of molecules
Since winning the 2007 Foresight Institute Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology, Theory category, Professor David Leigh FRS FRSE FRSC MAE, and since 2012 at the University of Manchester, has continued to achieve major milestones on the [...]
USA-Austrian and Swiss Nanocars finish first in first Nanocar race
If the current is high enough, the molecule starts to move and can be steered over the racetrack (University of Basel) Our previous post announced a race around a 100 nm course of [...]
First International NanoCar Race showcases molecular vehicles
Six NanoCars, each a unique concept created from only several dozen atoms by one of six teams representing six nations, and powered by electrical pulses, will compete to complete a 100 nm course within 38 hours.
Precisely removing individual atoms with microscope creates novel molecule
A molecule with two unpaired electrons too unstable to be made by chemical synthesis was fabricated using a scanning probe microscope to remove two hydrogen atoms from a single molecule adsorbed to a copper surface at ultra low temperature and ultra high vacuum.
From de novo protein design to molecular machine systems
A review from the group leading recent rapid progress in de novo protein design describes the successes, identifies the remaining challenges, and heralds the advance "from the Stone Age to the Iron Age" in protein design.
Two-component, 120-subunit icosahedral cage extends protein nanotechnology
Ten designs spanning three types of icosahedral architectures produce atomically precise multi-megadalton protein cages to deliver biological cargo or serve as scaffolds for organizing various molecular functions.
Cleanly placing atomically precise graphene nanoribbons
Atomically precise chevron-shaped graphene nanoribbons were purified after solution synthesis, cleanly placed by dry contact transfer on a hydrogen-passivated Si surface, imaged and manipulated by scanning tunneling microscopy, and covalently bonded to depassivated surface positions.
Designing novel protein backbones through digital evolution
Computational recombination of small elements of structure from known protein structures generates a vast library of designs that balance protein stability with the potential for new functions and novel interactions.
Adding modular hydrogen-bond networks to protein design
Computer designed networks of hydrogen bonds allow programming specific interactions of protein interfaces, facilitating programming molecular recognition.
A brief history of nanotechnology
A historian looks at nanotechnology as utopian or dystopian vision, real-life research and development, and why emerging technologies are such compelling topics.
New Funding Opportunity from U.S. DOE
A new funding opportunity from the Advanced Manufacturing Office, U.S. Department of Energy, incudes a subtopic on Atomically Precise Manufacturing
DOE office focusing on atomically precise manufacturing
Longtime Foresight member Dave Forrest is leading DOE's Advanced Manufacturing Office in advocating atomically precise manufacturing to transform the U.S. manufacturing base.