Apply to our Designing Molecular Machines Workshop, July 10 – 11 & nominate someone for the Feynman Prize in Nanotechnology!

Are you interested in driving progress on molecular machines? Here are two upcoming opportunities:

1. Apply to our Designing Molecular Machines Workshop

July 10 & 11 @ IndieBio in San Francisco.

The workshop is co-chaired by 

• William Shih, Harvard University

• Adam Marblestone, Convergent Research, Astera Institute

• Benjamin Reinhardt, PARPA

Many areas within the molecular machines field could be sped up via advancements on the software, modeling, and simulation-side. This two-day workshop invites a select group of specialists in software and simulation to apply their skills to help those tackling the challenges of constructing atomically-precise 3D structures, including pathways using chemistry, applied physics, biochemistry, molecular biology, and engineering. 

Confirmed presenters include:

• Anna Balazs, University of Pittsburgh 
• Erik Benson, Oxford University 
• Jonathan Blow, Number None 
• Alexis Courbet, University of Washington
• Eric Drexler, University of Oxford
• Yuanning Feng, Northwestern University
• Niamh Gavin, Future Matter 
• Adam Marblestone, Astera Institute 
• Erik Poppleton, University Oxford
• Stephane Redon, One Angstrom
• Benjamin Reinhardt, PARPA  
• Will Shih, Harvard University
• Jacob Swett, previous Arizona State University 
• Andrew Turberfield, University of Oxford
• Bret Victor, Dynamic Land 
• Basile Wicky, University of Washington

Presentations on open challenges in the molecular machines field and relevant advances in software tools. Smaller groups form around selected topics to determine the work required to make progress. Project proposal sketches are generated, including scope of work, budget, relevant collaborators and timeline. Present funders may help in a mentorship role. Smaller workshops to hash out promising proposals may follow. 

In addition to the main programming; mentorship hours, socials, and open breakout-spaces. In addition to benefiting from tech transfer across fields, and forming lasting collaborations with other leading scientists, entrepreneurs, and funders around shared goals, this workshop may unlock novel paths for long-term progress in the field.

You can find a full agenda and all participants on the workshop page.

The page includes the opportunity to apply to join as participant or sponsor.

Travel-stipends and sponsorship opportunities are available from the application form

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Feel free to share this opportunity with relevant colleagues. We hope to see you there!

           2. Nominations for the Foresight Feynman Prize & Distinguished Student Award!

The 2016 shared Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to Sir J. Fraser Stoddart for the design and synthesis of molecular machines. This was only 9 years after he received Foresight’s Feynman Prize in the Experimental category for Nanotechnology. It illustrates why we‘re granting the Feynman Prize since 1993: to honor pioneering work on Molecular Nanotechnology.

If you are aware of outstanding work in Theory or Experimentation on the path to Molecular Nanotechnology, you can help award successes in the field, and the people creating them.

In addition to the senior Feynman Prizes, we also invite you to nominate a student to be awarded the Distinguished Student Award. The Foresight Institute Distinguished Student Award recognizes the College graduate or undergraduate student whose work is considered most notable in advancing the development and understanding of nanotechnology. The prize entails $1,000, an invitation to the award ceremony and technical workshop, and public acknowledgment and support.

Nominations are accepted via this form by July 31, 2022.