Picture: UK molecular biotechnology expert Dr Keith Firman studies computer simulations of the nanoactuator at work. The breakthrough device provides the foundation for the interface between living organisms and the computer world.
RESEARCHERS in the United Kingdom have developed an electronic switch based on DNA - a world-first bio-nanotechnology breakthrough that provides the foundation for the interface between living organisms and the computer world.
The new technology devised at the University of Portsmouth, southern England, is called a nanoactuator or a molecular dynamo. The device is invisible to the naked eye and is about one thousandth of a strand of human hair.
The DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) switch has been developed by molecular biotechnology expert Dr Keith Firman at Portsmouth working in collaboration with other European researchers.
Firman and his international team have been awarded a grant of two million euros (1.36 million pounds sterling) from the European Commission under its New & Emerging Science & Technology (Nest) initiative to make more progress with this ground-breaking technology.
Aside from its use in computers, the DNA switch has immediate practical application in toxin detection and could be used in a biodefence role as a biological sensor to detect airborne pathogens.
The future applications are also considerable, including molecular-scale mechanical devices for interfacing to computer-controlled artificial limbs.
“The possibilities are very exciting. The nanoactuator we have developed can be used as a communicator between the biological and silicon worlds,” said Dr Firman. “I could see it providing an interface between muscle and external devices but it has to be pointed out that such an application is still 20 or 30 years away.”
The molecular switch consists of a strand of DNA anchored in a minuscule channel of a microchip, a magnetic bead and a biological motor powered by the naturally occurring energy source found in living cells - adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
These elements working together create a dynamo effect that in turn generates electricity. The result is a device that emits electrical signals - signals that can be sent to a computer. The switch, therefore, links the biological world with the silicon world of electronic signals.
The nanoactuator has been patented by Portsmouth University and a patent application is pending for the basic concepts of biosensing.
The project is part of a multinational collaboration between Portsmouth University, the National Physical Laboratory (UK), TU Delft (Netherlands), CNRS/ENS (France), INESC-Portugal, EMPA (Switzerland) and IMIC (Czech Republic).
Nanotechnology is the science and technology of building electronic circuits and devices from single atoms and molecules. It is the branch of engineering that deals with things smaller than 100 nanometres.
A nanometre is about 10,000 times smaller than the width of a human hair; an ant is several millions of nanometres in length. Dr Firman’s work represents a fusion of molecular biology with nanotechnology – bio-nanotechnology.
科学家的发明将生物有机体和计算机联系起来
图片：英国分子生物技术专家Keith Firman博士在研究计算机模拟纳米制动器工作。这个史无前例的装置为在 活的生物有机体和计算机之间建立联系提供了基础。
不列颠的研究人员已经开发出了一种基于DNA的转换器——世界上第一个生物纳米技术制 动器——为在活的生物有机体和计算机之间建立联系提供了基础。这个运用了新技术的发 明来自英格兰南部的朴次茅斯大学，叫做纳米制动器或者分子发电机。肉眼并不能看见这个装置，它的粗细只有一根头发丝的千分之一。
这个DNA（脱氧核糖核酸的简称）制动器由在朴次茅斯大学的Keith Firman博士与其他欧 洲研究人员共同合作发明。
欧盟委员会发起的“资助新兴科学和技术活动”（ Nest）就是要推动具有开创性的技术 发展，也正因为如此，Firman和他的国际合作小组得到了200万欧元（合136万英镑）的资助。
除了能用在计算机上，这个DNA制动器还能用于快速检测毒素上。此外，它还可用于生化防卫上，作为一种生物传感器来探测空气中是否有病原体存在。
而且，它的未来应用前景也很可观，从用于界面连接的分子尺寸的机械装置上，到由计算机控制的机器手上，都可以使用到。
“它可能存在的应用让人很是振奋。我们发明的这个纳米制动器可以当作生物体和硅元件之间的连接器来用，”Firman博士说道。“我能够想到它可以成为有机体和外界装置之间联系的界面，但是，需要指出的是，要达到这样的应用还要等20或30年。”
这个分子制动器的组成包括一组固定在极小的芯片上的DNA、一个带有磁性的珠子、一个提供动力的生物发动机——由活的生物细胞三磷酸腺苷（ATP）所发出的能量产生动力。
这些组成成分一起工作，创造出发电机的效果，然后再转化成电流。其结果就是，安装了这种制动器的装置随后发出电子信号——这些信号再被发送给计算机。于是，这个制动器 就通过电子信号，将生物世界和硅元件世界联系在了一起。
朴次茅斯大学已经为这个纳米制动器申请了专利，而且，还计划进行生物传感基础概念应用方面的专利申请。
这是一个多国共同合作的结晶，英国的有朴次茅斯大学、国家物理实验所，还有荷兰代尔伏特理工大学（TU Delft）、法国国家地球科学实验室（CNRS/ENS）、葡萄牙国家系统与 计算机科学研究所（INESC-Portugal）、瑞士联邦材料测试与研究实验室（EMPA）和捷克 IMIC。
纳米技术就是利用单个原子或分子建立电子电路的科学技术，它是工程学的一个分支，涉及到的东西都小于100纳米。
1纳米的长度还不及人类一根头发丝直径的万分之一。Firman博士从事的工作是分子生物学和纳米技术的融合——生物纳米技术。
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