Created a robot that can build molecules

2017-09-24 12:30

Created a robot that can build molecules
These tiny robots, the size of which does not exceed one millionth of a millimeter, can be programmed on movement and the construction of molecular cargo using tiny robotic manipulator.

Scientists from the University of Manchester have created the world’s first “molecular robot”, able to perform tasks at the molecular level, including the construction of other molecules, reports Rus.Media. These tiny robots, the size of which does not exceed one millionth of a millimeter, can be programmed on movement and the construction of molecular cargo using tiny robotic manipulator. Each robot is capable to manipulate individual molecules and consists of 150 atoms of hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. For comparison, you need to make a billion billion of these robots so that they become the same size with a grain of salt.

Work work by transferring chemical reaction in special solutions that can be managed and which can be programmed to perform basic tasks. In the future such robots can be used for medical purposes, in industry and even to create molecular factories, and pipelines. The study was published in Nature on September 21.

Professor David Lee, who led the study at the school of chemistry at the University, explains: “All matter is composed of atoms which are the building blocks that form the molecule. Our robot is literally a molecular robot made up of atoms like ordinary robot from LEGO bricks. The robot responds to a series of simple commands that are programmed with introductory chemical scientists.

“It is similar to the robots that assemble cars at the factory. They lift the panel and position it so that it can be correctly glue and build the body of the car. Thus, like the robot in the factory, our molecular version can be programmed to different positioning and riveting of the components, creating different products, only on a much smaller scale at the molecular level.”

The advantages of the size of these machines is that they significantly reduce the demand for materials that can accelerate and improve drug discovery and significantly reduce power requirements and to accelerate the miniaturization of other products. The possible use of molecular robots and so-called nanoassemblers, which can be created based on them, are extremely wide.

“Molecular robotics is a high degree of miniaturization of machines, — said the Professor. – Our goal is to create and make the smallest possible machines. This is only the beginning, but we believe that in 10-20 years the molecular robots are commonly used in molecular factories and Assembly lines”.

While the construction and operation of such a tiny car is a very complex process, the methods used by the team based on simple chemical processes.

“Going to work and function with the use of chemicals. The science of how atoms and molecules react with each other and how large molecules are assembled from those that are smaller”.

“In the same way scientists create medicines and plastics from simple chemical building blocks. Once the nanorobots are collected, they can be controlled by introducing chemical substances that tell the contractors what to do when, like in a computer program”.