DNA "pistons" could power nanoscale robots

While we've been spending our days padding our Xbox 360 Achievements and building castles out of Popsicle sticks, here come some science jerks all making us look bad. Researchers in the UK and Germany have managed to assemble tetrahedrons out of DNA "struts" with some chemical trickery, and then fed the shape DNA "fuel" to get the tetrahedron to contract. Some "anti-fuel" expands the shape again, creating a sort of piston with all sorts of potential. The researchers are currently working to assemble larger structures using the tetrahedrons as building blocks. Possible applications of the technology range from drug delivery to the motors of nanoscale robots, and it sounds like humanity is doomed either way.

[Spyvie @ Feb 5th 2008 2:11PM]

Artificial muscles?

[aardvark sandwich @ Feb 5th 2008 2:15PM]

looks like lite brite.

[Joe @ Feb 5th 2008 2:17PM]

I for one am still on track at reaching the 5,000 achievement points milestone before the month ends!

[Flashpoint @ Feb 5th 2008 2:19PM]

We are going about technology the wrong way. What we should do is focus on creating artificial intelligence. Then the A.I. can phase out humanity and build better machines: Autots (robots designed by robots) and then the autots can phase out the first generation of robots.

[John Johnson @ Feb 5th 2008 2:31PM]

Odds are we will see this in the European Ford Focus and will never come around in the States.

[Jerk Face @ Feb 5th 2008 2:36PM]

Ha ha.. what!?

[applefreak @ Feb 5th 2008 3:02PM]

haha... I love the first and last sentinces....

[Clasifyd @ Feb 5th 2008 3:49PM]

I, for one, welcome our new nanoscopic overlords.

[Allen @ Feb 5th 2008 4:50PM]

Everyone welcomes the new overlords...

Anyway, this will be great, imagine a 40,000 cylinder engine: smooth as freakin possible.

@John Johnson:
I agree.

[Hung @ Feb 5th 2008 5:22PM]

Some of the commentors have taken this out of context. Nanoengines serve as motors for nanoparticle delivery systems. I volunteered at Winship Cancer Research Institute last summer and sat through an tediously boring lecture about the advances in nanotechnology and how nanoparticles can be used to tag cancerous cells. The speaker was Chinese and not British or German, however, and had an overbearing accent.

These DNA "pistons" will NOT appear in car engines or even anything larger than the smallest viruses. Sorry to rain on your parade.

[Miguel @ Feb 5th 2008 8:41PM]

Look up "sarcasm" in the dictionary. As a matter of fact, I did it for you: http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/sarcasm

Cheers.

[Hung @ Feb 7th 2008 7:27AM]

Yes, because Allen, John Johnson, and Zzephyr are basing their comments on sarcastic comments. Their messages—that this will go in European engines, will make for smoother engines, will appear in lawnmowers, and will walk dogs—are, in fact, based on the sarcastic assumption that these DNA pistons can replace conventional pistons. I wholly believe your argument that these commentors have created super-duper-verbally-ironic statements by not seriously considering possible macro uses of the pistons first, then creating additionally sarcastic statements about the utility of pistons which they have not actually thought usable.

P.S. You fail at catching fails. It's called a Double Fail. http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Double+Fail
Be leery of them.

P.P.S. Flashpoint is sarcastic, but does not first assume that the pistons are for use in large-scale engines.

P.P.P.S. You're a dick.

[Zzephyr @ Feb 5th 2008 5:48PM]

Image a billion of these mowing you lawn for you. Ten billion to take the dog out for a walk. Yay.

[efl22 @ Feb 6th 2008 3:14AM]

cant wait till i turn to a cyborg

[Alexeon @ Feb 5th 2008 6:52PM]

Well, so we can power our nanites now. Its a big step I guess but I still cant wait for my own nano-fab.

[Tom Oliveri @ Feb 5th 2008 8:19PM]

"and it sounds like humanity is doomed either way." ahahhahah!! clasic!

[usedHONDA @ Feb 6th 2008 5:06PM]

Wait... this is a total rip off Transformers the movie! Computers in the form of organisms...