NYU chemists create ‘nanorobotic’ arm to operate within DNA sequence

December 8, 2006 | Source: KurzweilAI

New York University chemistry professor Nadrian C. Seeman and his graduate student Baoquan Ding have developed a DNA binding site through which a nanomechanical device can be inserted and function within a DNA array, allowing for the motion of a nanorobotic arm.

The results, reported in the latest issue of the journal Science, pave the way for creating nanoscale “assembly lines” in which more complex maneuvers could be executed, explained Seeman.

The invention has the potential to develop new synthetic fibers, advance the encryption of information, and improve DNA-based computation. It emulates the process by which RNA replicas of DNA sequences are translated to create protein sequences. However, the signals that control the nanomechanical tool are DNA rather than RNA. The dimensions of the machine are approximately 110 x 30 x 2 nm.

“This is an evolutionary step along a lengthy R&D pathway leading towards the eventual creation of a factory-style ‘mechanical ribosome’ system that could assemble biological parts via positional assembly,” nanotechnologist and nanomedicine expert Robert A. Freitas Jr. told KurzweilAI.net. “Creating a mechanical ribosome appears to be one of the ultimate objectives of Seeman’s work.

“This is a nice piece of work. Previously, Ned Seeman’s group had demonstrated the ability to build, using programmable DNA strands and via self-assembly, a chemically actuated DNA motor that can be reversibly rotated between two positions; and a regular checkerboard array, with each square having a different chemical address. In this paper, they report the next logical step, essentially combining these previous two accomplishments by demonstrating an ability to affix the motor to any given square on the array.”

New York University news release