Tiny DNA robots could be the future of assembly lines.
By Jesse Emspak | Contributor for The Christian Science Monitor/ March 27, 2009 edition

Ann Hermes/The Christian Science Monitor

Nano designer: Professor Nadrian Seeman has created two-armed worker robots made of DNA.

Nadrian Seeman sees a future filled with extremely small factory workers.

By small, the New York University chemistry professor means a billionth of a meter.

That’s the scale that he and others who work in the field of nanotechnology deal with on an everyday basis. By manipulating molecules, they attempt to build new materials and microscopic robots, possibly small and smart enough to move through human bodies.

But nanotechnology’s key obstacle has always been how to mass-produce these exotic molecules used as building blocks.

At this early stage, nanoscale manufacturing mistakes are pretty common. It would be as though a factory churned out cars where the rearview mirror was attached to the hood – and did so a third of the time.

But Professor Seeman has found a way around that. He and a Chinese team at Nanjing University have built a nanoscale factory worker. The tiny machine is made of DNA, the molecule that governs the way cells make proteins. But this DNA isn’t like that found in human cells – it’s synthetic and can’t reproduce by itself.

But like all DNA, it holds information in the form of genetic code. Seeman “programs” his tiny machine by stringing the right combinations of DNA – much in the way computer engineers use binary code.

“We’re prototyping the notion of programmable patterns,” Seeman says.

The machine has two “arms” made of strings of DNA that are attached by another chain of DNA.

Each arm has a molecule on the end that attaches to other molecules and aligns them in a set order. These sticky ends only connect with a particular building block, and Seeman can program them to specify which molecule he wants.

This allows him to arrange pieces and form specific molecules with some precision – similar to the way a robotic automobile factory can be told what kind of car to make.

After the arms create the desired molecules one at a time, the whole mixture is heated and cooled, which causes the correct molecules to displace the incorrect ones.

This fixes any errors and is what makes the “factory” reliable enough to mass-produce.

Thus far, Seeman’s team has made molecules with various shapes – squares and triangles – that don’t have a specific function. The next step is constructing functional molecules – but he is mum on the details.

He imagines building several tiny DNA machines and programming them to work in harmony, creating more complex substances such as a fiber or even an electronic device.

Seeman has been working on nanorobotics for several years. He first perfected a one-armed version in 2006. It was the first time anyone had put together such a device in a DNA array, he says.

Now, that he’s pulled off a two-arm design, Seeman says that his team can finally build things.

The big leap in Seeman’s work is the ability to “remote control” the DNA arms, says Milan Stojanovic, a professor of medicine at Columbia University and director of the National Science Foundation’s Center for Molecular Cybernetics. Finally, his team can set up a protocol to fix errors along the way.

“They start with the same basic structure, but then can ‘build’ on this basic structure depending [on] what they have in solution,” Dr. Stojanovic says in an e-mail. Being able to get high yields is also important for making future progress more rapidly.

Seeman’s work is rather unique, Stojanovic says. “Ned is unpredictably creative in his approach to science,” he says.

Another key contribution to future nanotechnology work is how Seeman manipulates the strand of DNA that connects the arms, says Paul Rothemund, a research associate at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.

Seeman borrowed a technique called “DNA origami” to act like a pegboard for the arms, which can be reconfigured. DNA is expensive, Mr. Rothemund explains. So, Seeman’s adaptive, elastic system uses fewer pieces of DNA to make a given molecular configuration. Rothemund likens it to having a set of clamps or vice grips that could be rotated to hold differently shaped objects, rather than using a whole new set of tools for every project.

Chengde Mao, an associate professor at Purdue University, is particular hopeful that Seeman’s work – and that of other nanotech scientists – could allow for breakthroughs in DNA, building three dimensional structures.

Seeman credits an art print by mathematical illusionist M.C. Escher for starting him on the road to using DNA as a way into nanotechnology in the early 1980s.

After trying unsuccessfully to grow crystals for experiments, he spoke with a colleague who was doing work in recombinant DNA, a brand-new field at the time. Seeman was “thinking about the Escher print ‘Depth,’ ” where six-finned fish float through space, he says. “I started thinking about a six-armed, three-dimensional junction.”

He began picturing how to shape DNA that way. At the time, nanotechnology was in its infancy, and most chemists were working with inorganic molecules. Seeman, however, decided that DNA was a better way to start because it has a built-in structure.

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Nanotechnology’s potential impact is considerable and includes the science necessary for exploring cures for cancer, developing the technology to rebuild a “smart” more efficient national power grid, and creating a plethora of clean energy solutions such as batteries for electric cars. By shepherding in renewable energy solutions, and providing the foundation for a science and technology revolution, NWHQ will create thousands of jobs and foster new scientific-based businesses to flourish and compete on a global level.

Nanotechnology is one of the fastest growing areas of scientific exploration. It holds a promise to solve some of the world’s most intractable problems in energy, aerospace, healthcare and information technology. Accordingly, the sector’s potential to help boost the U.S. and global economy is significant. Nanotechnology is projected to impact the global economy by 3.1 trillion dollars by 2015. Strikingly, the total volume of nano-related products sold globally is expected to soar past that of oil & gas in the next 10 to 20 years. NWHQ will provide an important avenue for innovation and foster the growth of new nano businesses to strengthen the nanotechnology landscape and position the United States as a leader in this field.

The creation of NWHQ is moving forward at a pivotal moment as the new administration is advocating a stimulus plan (The American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan) to strengthen large-scale “shovel-ready” projects that will create new jobs, embody energy efficiency approaches, and further scientific innovations. NWHQ is an ideal candidate for funding through the stimulus package due to its potential to strengthen the United States economy in the immediate and long term.

The development of NWHQ is critical at this juncture since other nations – including China, Russia and Saudi Arabia – have already started to invest heavily in the commercialization of nanotechnology. The NWHQ will propel the United States in the direction of global leadership in nanotechnology innovation and commercialization.

Specifically, NWHQ is a $580 million 35-acre project situated in the WaterLights District, a certified LEED Gold mixed-use property plan, just one mile south of Houston, Texas city limits in Pearland, Texas. The $700 million WaterLights District is currently under construction. Historic Real Estate, Inc. is the developer of the Nano World Headquarters and the WaterLights District. HOK Architects is spearheading the planning and design. The property is utilizing the most advanced clean energy approaches available, including solar and hydro power. NWHQ holds the promise to significantly strengthen the economy through scientific research in its state-of-the-art shared equipment facility coupled with business development support for commercializing innovation in energy, healthcare, aerospace, and information technology. The project is expected to create 900 jobs immediately in 2009 and over 30,000 direct, indirect and induced jobs by 2015.

“Nanotechnology advancement requires the collaboration of various disciplines – including chemistry, physics, biology, and engineering – as well as financial and technical support systems to take nanotechnology solutions from concept to development and commercialization,” explains Valerie Moore, Nano World Headquarters Executive Director. “We are pleased that all of these elements come together at the Nano World Headquarters, promising unprecedented progress in nanotechnology.”

The Houston, Texas area was a natural choice for the Nano World Headquarters since it is already the hub of significant nanotechnology exploration. First, Houston’s Rice University is at the forefront of modern nanotechnology with two of the three co-winners of the 1996 Nobel Prize for Chemistry serving as professors. One of the Nobel Prize winners, Dr. Richard Smalley, founded the first Nanotechnology Center, which was re-named after his death in 2005, “Richard E. Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology.” Dr. Smalley was an instrumental figure during the initial planning of the NWHQ and helped inspire its ultimate creation.

Additionally, Houston is also arguably the Energy Capital of the world, home to the largest medical center, the Houston Medical Center, and the NASA Johnson Space Center. With all of these factors at play, the NWHQ found a home at WaterLights where it could grow, thrive and contribute to nearby scientific institutions.

The Mayor of Pearland, Texas is a vocal proponent of the Nano World Headquarters. “Nano World Headquarters represents an important step forward in science and technology innovation,” explained Mayor Tom Reid. “We are proud to have this great institution in our city and believe it will go a long way in strengthening our economic vibrancy and positioning the United States as a world leader in nanotechnology advancement.”

The organization is established as a 501(c)(6) and is actively seeking federal funding from the federal stimulus package. Currently key partnerships are already forged with academic institutions, medical research facilities, and corporate interests. Also, during this formative stage, various funding sources are coming together from private entities and public sources at the local, state and federal levels.

Lastly, a world-renowned management team is now in place for NWHQ. Recently, Valerie C. Moore, PhD was appointed the Executive Director. She is a preeminent expert in the field of nanotechnology who was mentored by Dr. Richard E. Smalley on doctoral research focusing on the application of nanotechnology in materials, energy and medicine. Dr. Moore has applied her expertise at the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, NASA’s Johnson Space Center, The Texas Heart Institute, and the Smalley Institute for Nanoscale Science and Technology.

Posted March 17th, 2009

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Contact: James Devitt
james.devitt@nyu.edu
212-998-6808
New York University

Chemists create two-armed nanorobotic device to maneuver world’s tiniest particles

Chemists at New York University and China’s Nanjing University have developed a two-armed nanorobotic device that can manipulate molecules within a device built from DNA. The device is described in the latest issue of the journal Nature Nanotechnology.

“The aim of nanotechnology is to put specific atomic and molecular species where we want them and when we want them there,” said NYU Chemistry Professor Nadrian Seeman, one of the co-authors. “This is a programmable unit that allows researchers to capture and maneuver patterns on a scale that is unprecedented.”

The device is approximately 150 x 50 x 8 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter. Put another way, if a nanometer were the size of a normal apple, measuring approximately 10 centimeters in diameter, a normal apple, enlarged proportionally, would be roughly the size of the earth.

The creation enhances Seeman’s earlier work—a single nanorobotic arm, completed in 2006, marking the first time scientists had been able to employ a functional nanotechnology device within a DNA array.

The new, two-armed device employs DNA origami, a method unveiled in 2006 that uses a few hundred short DNA strands to direct a very long DNA strand to form structures that adopt any desired shape. These shapes, approximately 100 nanometers in diameter, are eight times larger and three times more complex than what could be created within a simple crystalline DNA array.

As with Seeman’s previous creation, the two-armed nanorobotic device enables the creation of new DNA structures, thereby potentially serving as a factory for assembling the building blocks of new materials. With this capability, it has the potential to develop new synthetic fibers, advance the encryption of information, and improve DNA-scaffolded computer assembly.

In the two-armed nanorobotic device, the arms face each other, ready to capture molecules that make up a DNA sequence. Using set strands that bind to its molecules, the arms are then able to change the structure of the device. This changes the sticky ends available to capture a new pattern component.

The researchers note that the device performs with 100 percent accuracy. Earlier trials revealed that it captured targeted molecules only 60 to 80 percent of the time. But by heating the device in the presence of the correct species, they found that the arms captured the targeted molecules 100 percent of the time.

They confirmed their results by atomic force microscopy (AFM), which permits features that are a few billionths of a meter to be visualized.

The study’s other co-authors were Hongzhou Gu, a graduate student in NYU’s Department of Chemistry, and Jie Chao, who had been a visiting graduate student at NYU, and Professor Shou-Jun Xiao, both based at China’s Nanjing University.

Contact: Colin Finan
colin.finan@wilsoncenter.org
202-691-4321
Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies

Stimulus debate highlights need for focus on nanotech risks

New nano reauthorization bill includes crucial safety research mandates

Washington, DC – The nearly $800 billion stimulus package being debated in Congress contains a number of measures intended to improve information technology, infrastructure and the energy economy in the United States – all areas that will be greatly aided by nanotechnology. However, without an increased focus by the federal government on possible risks posed by engineered nanomaterials, many of the potential societal advancements created by the emerging technology could be compromised.

The importance of understanding the possible risks posed by engineered nanomaterials is a centerpiece of legislation passed February 11 in the House of Representatives. The bill, the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009 (H.R. 554), which passed by a voice vote, highlights the growing need to learn more about the possible environmental, health and safety dangers posed by some nanoscale materials. The Senate is expected to take up a companion bill later this year.

Nanotechnology – which some scientists and business leaders hail as the next Industrial Revolution – is a key part of President Barack Obama’s research and development strategy, particularly in the energy sector. Nanoscale-lithium batteries will be in the next generation of electric cars, and nanoscale materials are being used in solar panels that will deliver power to countless homes, businesses and government buildings.

“Nanotechnology is going to be one of the most important drivers of innovation and economic growth in the 21st century. Passage of the National Nanotechnology Initiative Amendments Act of 2009 in the House is a significant step in the right direction,” says David Rejeski, the director of the Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies (PEN). “The bill contains a number of measures that will increase transparency and help improve science-based government oversight of nanotechnology. It also will help to ensure that the potential risks posed by nanomaterials do not pose a threat to public safety or undermine investor confidence.”

Passage of the bill comes only months after a National Research Council (NRC) panel issued a highly critical report describing serious shortfalls in the Bush administration’s strategy to better understand the environmental, health and safety risks of nanotechnology and to effectively manage those potential risks.

The NRC report, Review of the Federal Strategy for Nanotechnology-Related Environmental, Health and Safety Research, calls for a significantly revamped national strategic plan that will minimize potential risks so that innovation will flourish and society will reap nanotechnology’s benefits in areas like medicine, energy, transportation and communications.

NRC’s assessment follows a PEN evaluation of the overall federal spending on nanotechnology risk-related research. Of the annual $1.5 billion investment by the government in nanotechnology research, PEN determined that in 2006 (the most recent year for which data was available) just 62 federally-funded projects were highly relevant to understanding nanotechnology risk, with an estimated annual budget of $13 million. In contrast, the Bush administration estimated that $37.7 million was invested in highly relevant risk research in fiscal year 2006. By either calculation, highly relevant risk research is only as little as 1 percent or as much as 2.5 percent of the annual federal nanotech research budget. Most experts have been calling for an annual minimum of 10 percent.

“Passage of the House bill is a sign that lawmakers believe that protection from the possible risks of nanomaterials is important not only to the safety of Americans, but also to help advance beneficial technologies for the next generation – a key in helping improve the economy,” says Andrew Maynard, chief science advisor for PEN.

About Nanotechnology

Nanotechnology is the ability to measure, see, manipulate and manufacture things usually between 1 and 100 nanometers. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter; a human hair is roughly 100,000 nanometers wide. In 2007, the global market for goods incorporating nanotechnology totaled $147 billion. Lux Research projects that figure will grow to $3.1 trillion by 2015.

The Project on Emerging Nanotechnologies is an initiative launched by the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars and The Pew Charitable Trusts in 2005. It is dedicated to helping business, government and the public anticipate and manage possible health and environmental implications of nanotechnology. For more information about the project, log on to www.nanotechproject.org.