Re: Molecular nanotech "trains" and computers

Eugene Leitl (eugene.leitl@lrz.uni-muenchen.de)
Sun, 20 Jun 1999 18:23:36 -0700 (PDT)

Tanya Jones writes:

> Buckytubes are experimented upon in an inert environment--vacuum or gas.
> While they can be used in liquid, this mostly not done (yet?). Microtubles
> are primarily used in aqueous environment require physiological system of
> support.

Drextech is designed to work in unsolvated environment, either ultra-high vacuum (UHV) or inert monoatomics (helium, argon, neon). Nanomechanisms tend to jam if operated in anything else.

> If anyone has more information about how these experiments may converge, I'd
> be interested.

Well, graphenes are obviously suitable as inert shells/hulls for biomedical applications of nanotechnology as well as molecular circuitry for control logic. Fullerenes have a rich chemistry, which can be exploited to attach them to biomolecular assemblies, thus creating hybrid systems. The simplest way to power nanomachines would seem to use ATPases, or bacterial flagella rotors, which utilize transmembrane proton gradients.