Results for "RNA nanotechnology"

from the Cutting-the-gordian-knot dept.

Custom-engineered proteins have long been seen as one possible route to molecular nanotechnology. But the challenge of understanding how and why protein molecules assume the shapes they do to perform their structural and functional roles, has been an enduring problem in the field of protein engineering.

A press release describes work that apparently explains at least some aspects of protein structure by working from first principles. "We have discovered a simple explanation, based solely on principles of geometry, for the protein's preference for the helix as a major component of its overall structure," says Jayanth R. Banavar, professor of physics at Penn State and a member of the team of U.S. and Italian research physicists that made the discovery. The work was also reported in the 20 July 2000 issue of the journal Nature.

from the wonderful-discoveries-promised dept.
An article in Chemical & Engineering News (subscription req'd) reports "The [US] National Institutes of Health is getting ready to jump into the field of nanotechnology…The need for tool development, such as single-molecule detection and nanofabrication methods, was a theme that was sounded repeatedly…" at the NIH Symposium "Nanoscience & Nanotechnology: Shaping Biomedical Research". Harvard chemist George Whitesides called for a separate funding group within NIH: "Tools for nanofabrication are not going to be easily evaluated in the same study section that studies more conventional subjects." Symposium co-chair Lynn Jelinski: "We're saying, 'Here is a small set of scientific priorities, and here is where the investments should go.' With that, I can guarantee you that if you sic really smart people on things, wonderful discoveries will emerge."

from the technology-for-all-not-just-the-rich dept.
Senior Associate BryanBruns reports "A well-written white paper on Transgenic Plants and World Agriculture argues that farmers in poor countries need better access to plant biotechnology. A working group from the US National Academy of Sciences the Royal Society of London, and scientific academies in other nations prepared the paper. (See also stories in the Washington Post and NandoTimes). This paper offers good examples of thinking through how to steer technology so it can benefit farmers and others in poor countries, not just commercial interests in wealthy countries. The report encourages better sharing of intellectual property. The whole report is worth reading, if you are interested in preparing society for advanced technologies, but if you're pressed for time you could look at the summary and the chapter on intellectual property".Read More for Bryan's full post.

from the it's-a-discovery-not-an-invention-so-no-patents! dept.
Foresight Director of Communications Tanya Jones alerts us that the journal "Nature is openly publishing information on the Human Genome project on its website, rather than restricting this to subscribers only. See their index of relevant papers, news, and application data. Included is asection on bioethics which may shed some light on concerns about the development of nanotechnology and provide us with avenues to achieving consensus on how these technologies may safely be developed. –Tanya "

from the yet-another-actuator dept.
Jeffrey Soreff writes "Richard Terra and Christine Peterson originally pointed me towards an article on a chirality-switching molecule from NYU described at link

Quoth the press release web page:

A New York University team led by chemist James W. Canary has developed a molecule with switchable chirality*. (FOOTNOTE: Nearly all biomolecules are chiral compounds. That is, they exist in two forms (enantiomers) which are non-superimposable mirror images of each other. …) …The investigators were then able to switch the molecule's chirality by the addition or removal of an electron.

For more analysis by Jeffrey Soreff, click "Read More" below.