KNEW-2006, NanoRobots a revolution in Biotechnology

KNEW - 2006 A National Level Technical Symposium

PAPER PRESENTATION ON

“The NanoRobots” A Revolution in Biotechnology

Guided By: Satyaprasad. A Lecturer, Dept. of ECE, CIT, Gubbi. Tumkur.

Presented By:

Karthik Kumar HP, II Sem, ECE. [1CG05EC030]

Vinay R. II Sem, CSE. [1CG05CS087]

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CONTENTS Page No.

1. Main Page 1

2. Contents 2

3. Abstract about the Nano 3

4. Introduction to the Nano Robots 4

5. Background & History of the Nano Robots 5

6. Application & Advantages of the Nano Robots 6 In Electronics 6 In Sports 6 In Telecommunication 6 In Biotechnological fields 7

7. A hypothetical(Imaginary) picture of the Nano Robots 8

8. Risks, Danger & The disadvantages of the Nano Robots 9 Economic Impact 10 Environmental Impact & Existential Dangers 10 AI (Artificial Intelligence) & 11 Potential Danger 11

9. Conclusion 12

10. Bibliography 13

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ABSTRACT ABOUT THE NANO ROBOTS

Nanorobots are theoretical microscopic devices measured on the scale of nanometers (1 nm equals one millionth of a millimeter). When fully realized from the hypothetical stage, they would work at the atomic, molecular and cellular level to perform tasks in both the medical and industrial fields that have heretofore been the stuff of science fiction.

These nanorobots are planned to use inside the human body, in the medical fields. These nanorobots can be used to cure many diseases with negligible harm to the body. These nano robots are very sensitive to the acoustic signals. Therefore these nano robots can be programmed using the sound waves, to perform the specified task.

To do all these things inside the body, the nanorobots can get the energy from the body itself. (In the form of heat produced inside the body or glucose or sugars which are present in the body itself).

These nano robots identify the particular harmful cells and try to quarantine it. If not possible to quarantine, it may destroy the harmful cell itself.

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INTRODUCTION TO THE NANO ROBOTS

Here in this project we explain the way of curing diseases like cancer or to destroy the harmful cells in the body. And also how the scientists are going to manufacture these special kinds of nanorobots?

Basic nanomachines are already in use. Nanobots will be the next generation of nanomachines. Advanced nanobots will be able to sense and adapt to environmental stimuli such as heat, light, sounds, surface textures, and chemicals; perform complex calculations; move, communicate, and work together; conduct molecular assembly; and, to some extent, repair or even replicate themselves.

Nanotechnology is the science and application of creating objects on a level smaller than 100 nanometers. spans and merges disciplines dealing with matter at the micro level (physics, chemistry, and biology) with those dealing with matter at the macro level (engineering, materials science and computer science).

A few generations from now someone diagnosed with cancer might be offered a new alternative to chemotherapy (the traditional treatment of radiation that kills not just cancer cells but healthy human cells as well, causing hair loss, fatigue, nausea, depression, and a host of other symptoms).

A doctor practicing nanomedicine would offer the patient an injection of a special type of nanorobot that would seek out cancer cells and destroy them, dispelling the disease at the source, leaving healthy cells untouched. A person undergoing a nanorobotic treatment could expect to have no awareness of the molecular devices working inside them, other than rapid betterment of their health.

Nanorobots are poised to bring the next revolution in technology and medicine, replacing the cumbersome and toxic Industrial Age and opening humankind up to incredible possibilities.

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BACKGROUND & HISTORY OF THE NANOROBOTS

Nanotech is a budding field, and it is unclear if it will pan out. The promise of atomic-sized "machines" and "nanobots," however, is high. Will these technologies yield super-materials or lead to great strides in medical science: time will tell.

So if nano robots are invented, then we can easily use the nanorobots to cure the diseases in the body.

Instead of this as usual if we use the Chemotherapy method, in which to destroy the cancer cells or to quarantine other cells, exposure of man to the direct radiations can injure the genetic cells in the body & also it can kill the healthy human cells as well, causing hair loss, fatigue, nausea, depression, and a host of other symptoms.

It means the chemotherapy treatment can affect the body health. & also weakens the body strength.

SMART DUST:

Smartdust is a term used to describe groups of very small robots which may be used for monitoring and detection. Currently, the scale of smartdust is rather small; with single sensors the size of a deck of playing cards, but the hope is to eventually have robots as small as a speck of dust. Individual sensors of smartdust are often referred to as motes because of their small size. These devices are also known as MEMS, which stands for microelectromechanical sensors.

Energy use is a major area of research in the field of smartdust. With devices so small, batteries present a massive addition of weight. It is therefore important to use absolutely minimal amounts of energy in communicating the data they collect to central hubs where it can be accessed by humans.

Development of smartdust continues at a breakneck speed, and it will no doubt soon be commonplace to have a vast army of thousands or millions of nearly invisible sensors monitoring our environment to ensure our safety and the efficiency of the machines around us.

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APPLICATIONS & ADVANTAGES OF THE NANO ROBOTS

The Nano Technology Nano Robots have so many feature that we can‟t express. But similarly there is also a possibility of risks & dangerous or disadvantages may also be their. But according to the inventions that now are going on, the advantages from these nano robots are very-very high as compare to that of disadvantages.

IN ELECTRONICS: Not only these types of nanorobots are useful in the Biotechnology, but also they can be used in many fields such as in electronics fields also (In nano circuits) etc.,

Nanotechnology has numerous energy-related applications. Nanophotonics is the application of nanotechnology to the transformation of electricity to light or light to electricity. In this area, nanocrystals or nanophosphores can make this transformation with greater efficiency than traditional incandescent lighting or solar panels. Using nanoceramic material as the covering for batteries absorbs electromagnetic waves and prolongs battery life. Nanopolymers provide high-performance insulation for energy transmission lines and decrease energy loss across long distances.

IN SPORTS: Nanotechnology is already being used for several sports and recreation related applications. For example, nanotech tennis rackets and golf clubs are lighter, stronger, and can be engineered to provide more motion control. Nanotech coatings on swim suits repel water, reduce friction with the water, and allow swimmers to go faster.

IN TELECOMMUNICATION: In the telecommunications industry, nanotechnology will play an important role in the coming years particularly with respect to fiber optics. Nanocrystalline materials can be made with finer resolution than standard fibers for enhanced optic cables, switches, lenses and junctions. In telecommunications more generally, the fields of nanotechnology and holotechnology will overlap in the design of the projection screens and user interfaces of the next generations of holographic cell phones, “Holographones,” and televisions, “HoloTVs.”

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IN BIOTECHNOLOGICAL FIELD: Many human illnesses and injuries have their origins in nanoscale processes. Accordingly, application of nanotechnology to the practice of medicine and biomedical research opens up new opportunities to treat illnesses, repair injuries, and enhance human functioning beyond what is possible with macroscale techniques. At the nanoscale level, the distinctions between mechanical and biological processes blur. Nanoparticles can attach to certain cells or tissues and provide medical images of their location and structure. Hollow nanocapsules with pharmaceutical contents can attach to cancer cells and release their payloads into them – maximizing targeted delivery and minimizing systemic side effects. Nanomedibots may repair vital tissue damaged by injury or disease, or destroy cancerous tissue that has gone away, without invasive surgery.

Nanopharmacology is the application of nanotechnology to the discovery of new molecular entities with pharmacological properties. Nanotechnology is also useful for individualized matching of pharmaceuticals to particular people to maximize effectiveness and minimize side effects. It is also used for delivery of pharmaceuticals to targeted locations or specific types of tissue in the body.

There are promising applications of nanotechnology in the field of orthopedics. Grafts of natural bone can carry disease or trigger immune rejection by the host. If one sterilizes the bone to reduce the chances of disease, then this can weaken the bone. Artificial bone cement without nanotechnology can work for small applications, but tends to not have sufficient strength for load-bearing bone replacement. However, artificial bone paste made with nanoceramic particles shows considerable promise for bone repair and replacement, even in load-bearing applications.

In addition to delivering pharmaceuticals as discussed above, nanotech medical robots ("nanomedibots") may be able to: monitor body function; repair damaged tissue at the molecular level; deconstruct pathologic or abnormal material or cells such as cancer or plaque; and enhance human health and functioning. Although nanomedibots have not been developed, there are on going advances in nanofluidics and carbon nanotube flow sensors that may become their building blocks. As nanotechnology and biotechnology advance, nanomedibots and engineered beneficial microorganisms may be integrated.

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Applications of these sensors are seemingly without end. Every aspect of life one examines opens up new avenues for smartdust. Smartdust (A group of very small robots) may eventually be used to monitor traffic and better direct it, to accompany soldiers and alert them to any poisons or dangerous biological substances in the air, to follow people around and track their activities, to track defects in products as they come off of an assembly line, and even to enter human bodies and check for physiological problems.

A Hypothetical picture of Nano with Blood Stream:

Blood Stream

Nano Robots

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RISKS, DANGER & DISADVANTAGES

Nanotechnology is a branch of science that deals with particles 1-100 nanometers in size. Experts believe possible dangers of nanotechnology lie in how these tiny particles might interact with the environment, and more importantly, with the human body.

Billions of dollars are being spent to incorporate nanoparticles into products that are already being marketed to the public; when this investment is compared to the comparatively scant research into nanotech health issues, some scientists become concerned.

Experts say the issue is that elements encountered at the nanoscale behave differently than their larger counterparts. As an example, graphite's properties are well known and it holds specific position in toxicology guidelines.

Nobel winning physicist Richard Smalley of Rice University discovered carbon nanotubes and fullerenes (buckyballs) - nanoparticles of carbon - which are legally categorized as graphite, yet they behave in ways unlike graphite making the classification a potentially dangerous one.

In March 2004 tests conducted by environmental toxicologist „Eva OberdÃrster‟, Ph.D., with Southern Methodist University in Texas found extensive brain damage to fish exposed to fullerenes for a period of just 48 hours at a relatively moderate dose of 0.5 parts per million (commiserate with levels of other kinds of pollution found in bays). The fish also exhibited changed gene markers in their livers, indicating their entire physiology was affected. In a concurrent test, the fullerenes killed water fleas, an important link in the marine food chain.

Other nanoparticles have also been shown to have adverse effects. Research from University of California in San Diego in early 2002 revealed cadmium selenide nanoparticles, also called quantum dots, can cause cadmium poisoning in humans. In 2004 British scientist Vyvyan Howard published initial findings that indicated gold nanoparticles might move through a mother's placenta to the fetus; and as far back as 1997 scientists at Oxford discovered nanoparticles used in sunscreen created free radicals that damaged DNA.

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Complicating the dangers of nanotechnology, size and shape of nanoparticles affect the level of toxicity, preempting the ease of uniform categories even when considering a single element. In general, experts report smaller particles are more bioactive and toxic. Their ability to interact with other living systems increases because they can easily cross the skin, lung, and in some cases the blood/brain barriers. Once inside the body, there may be further biochemical reactions like the creation of free radicals that damage cells.

While the body has built-in defenses for natural particles it encounters, the danger of nanotechnology is that it is introducing entirely new type of particles. So the body can take some time to adjust with it.

Highest at risk are workers employed by manufacturers producing products that contain nanoparticles. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) reports over 2 million Americans are exposed to high levels of nanoparticles and they believe this figure will rise to 4 million in the near future. NIOSH publishes safety guidelines and other information for those employed in the nanoindustry.

ECONOMIC IMPACT:

Another high concern among the potential dangers of molecular nanotechnology is that many predict MNT will arrive suddenly and in full force. The sudden advent of nanofactories producing clean, cheap, durable, products would adversely impact most sectors in the job market. Skilled labor, factory workers, and many lines of distribution would no longer be needed as corporations switched to nanotechnology or folded. Stocks would be critically affected and the likelihood of economic upheaval, high.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT AND EXISTENTIAL DANGERS :

The use of nanofactories to make countless cheap, durable products could lead to 'disposable thinking' where products are created en mass and discarded in abundance, overwhelming recycling needs and the environment.

Poor nations might use biomass (carbon-rich trees) as fuel for nanofactories, leading to increased deforestation.

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ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE (AI) AND ROBOTICS:

One of the most controversial dangers of molecular nanotechnology is that it will open the door to computers that think faster than the human brain, giving machines a superior edge. As robotics and AI combine to relieve humans of doing tasks that machines can do better, faster and cheaper, some believe we may be paving the way to our own destruction. Will nations secretly create armies of AI-enhanced, nano-augmented (think bionic) supersoldiers to fight wars? Will politicians opt for AI-enhancements? Nano- augmentation? Who will it be available to, and are we as a race headed towards total dependency on machinery to the extent it becomes part of our biology? Will there be equity or will a new class divide be created, similar to that depicted in Gattica? If we do not embrace AI-enhancement and nano-augmentation will intelligent machines ultimately decide we are unnecessary?

POTENTIAL DANGERS:

If potential benefits of molecular nanotechnology (MNT) sound too good to be true, there is one caveat - the potential dangers of molecular nanotechnology. When nanofactories can arrange atoms into structures - playing with the building blocks of life itself, or in this case nanoblocks -- theoretically anything allowable by the laws of physics can be created fast and cheap. Requirements include a few square feet for the nanofactory, the , and an electrical outlet.

Criminals, terrorists, disturbed individuals, governments, and antisocial groups of all stripes would be incredibly empowered by such technology. Additional potential dangers of molecular nanotechnology threaten the economy, environment, human rights, and world peace. The rush to gain supremacy through nanoweaponry could lead to a new arms race, while attempts to stranglehold the technology would likely result in independent, covert development. Unilateral, "open-source" international cooperation is another option that runs its own risks, and control in the public sector could lead to inequitable benefits and an Orwellian society.

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CONCLUSION

From these types of inventions, it will be useful for man to cure many diseases & to lead a fantastic life. But in these technologies there is a possible danger also.

However, finally we wish all the scientists, who are going to invent the nanorobots. To invent this kind of special featured nanorobots in the safe kind which will be in the non hazardous to the living kind.

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BIBLIOGRAPHY

TV Channel - Discovery channel. Websites - www.nanostream.com www.wisegeek.com www.dmoz.org www.neurnet.com www.nanojournal.nano-tek.org www.nanobot.info Google or msn search - Nanorobots + Biotechnology.

& from other Magazines

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