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Thursday, June 03, 2010

DNA #Robots to Hunt and Kill #Cancer

Nanoscale robots made from human DNA could someday patrol our bodies in an ever vigilant effort to identify the onset of cancer while it is still isolated in individual cells. Look for molecular-sized medical robots by the end of the decade. R.C.J.


Assembling a molecular-sized robot using DNA was recently demonstrated by researchers aiming for nano-robots to detect disease markers on a cell, diagnose it and deliver a cargo of cancer-killing drugs as appropriate. Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) holds the instructions that every living cell uses to grow, develop and fight disease. The material itself, however, can also be used as a building block for tiny machines with the ability to propel themselves—slashing aside tethers like a machete clears a path, then attaching a bond to move forward the way a winch pulls a truck...
Full Text: http://bit.ly/NextGenLog-aKek