Nanobots to Stimulate Brain Cells
By Robert Webb
Nanotechnology is the science of the very small. Many researchers are trying to create nanobots. Nanobots are basically extremely small robots at the size of the atomic scale. In the future they may be used for a variety of different purposes. Scientists are now collaborating to create new nanomachines that are smaller than the width of a human hair. These nanomachines may be able to stimulate single cells inside the human body. Research that is to be undertaken by Rudy Diaz will concentrate on creating nanomachines that are conceived to provide electrical signals to single neurons (brain cells).
The applications of this technology include devices of bio-detection and drug delivery which could be used to detect and treat a number of human neurological disorders. Diaz, a qualified schoolteacher at the department of electrical engineering and the center for Nanophotonics will work professors Thomas Moore and Hao Yan from the department of biochemistry and chemistry . The goal of team is the development of new and more precise technology of neural-stimulation within the brain. What Diaz's method proposes would allow the nanomachine to directly interact with cells at the microscopic level. These nanomachines could be injected into the body and find their target themselves.
The nanomachine will be built on a frame of DNA which includes antennas to receive power from the outside world and batteries to store and provide power. This will allow the small nanomachine to function on its own. The antennas are built from nanospheres from a noble metal which will be able to amplify and focus the light with the precision of nanometers. Artificial electrocytes will function like batteries. These types of electrolytes actually occur naturally in fish such as electric eels. They will be built from pumps of liposome ion (adipocytes) which will have ion molecules incorporated in their lipid membranes.
The group hopes to prove the functionality of each nanoscale component independently and to show that the whole assembly works together as it is conceived. These nanostructures could lead to the advanced probes of neuron functioning. They may also be able to allow much better brain imaging at the cellular level. The nano probes will be delivered to their targets by using chemical labels. The delivery will be done during a surgical operation. These nanobots may be able to reveal new details about the transmission of neuron signals and their malfunction in pathologies. It has the potential for a variety of applications like stimulation of the brain for the treatment of brain damage or injury. It might be able to ameliorate a variety of conditions such as multiple sclerosis or Parkinson's disease.
Nanotechnology is progressing at a rapid pace and our society will have to grapple with a lot of its implications. There is the possibility of self replicating nanobots that will consume everything on the earth. However, there is definitely a lot of promise for these nanomachines. They may be able to allievate or cure a variety of different disorders in the future. Nanomachines will likely find increasing use in the future.
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