NN: What are some of the potential applications for your "three-dimensional nanoscale architectures?"

We are applying our design strategy for forming self-assembled arsenic-containing compounds to the problem of specific metal chelation. By forming stable compounds that form only in the presence of the toxic metal ion, we hope that we not only are developing powerful chelators for that metal ion, but highly specific ones as well. This strategy could hold promise in the area of sensing and treating heavy metal poisoning in humans. We are also trying to apply what we are learning about the specific interactions between arsenic and small organic compounds to prepare improved materials for environmental arsenic remediation and sensing. We feel much of the knowledge we are gaining in forming self-assembled arsenic complexes can be translated to other toxic metal ions such as lead and mercury as well.
—Darren W. Johnson, Assistant Professor, Inorganic, Organic, Supramolecular, and Materials Chemistry at the University of Oregon.

NN: What is self-assembly?

One can imagine two basic ways to manipulate matter. One is the way we do it as human beings at the macro scale, which is direct manipulation; we pick things up with our hands, with our machines; we physically bring them together using 3-dimensional control.

The other way is self-assembly, which is the method that nature uses, down at the nanoscale. Taking place in a liquid medium, the parts that need to be brought together jumble about due to thermal activity, and come together in random configurations until they match up in terms of their shape and their electrical charges, and hold together. That's how nature builds down at the nanoscale.
—Christine Peterson, Founder and Vice President, Public Policy, Foresight Institute.

NN: How may self-assembly play a role in developing Molecular Nanotechnology (MNT)?

Progress toward MNT means progress in building productive molecular machine systems -- advancing through a series of steps in which each generation of tools can build tools of the next generation.
—K. Eric Drexler is an author, theoretical researcher, and policy advocate focused on emerging technologies and their consequences for the future. He is also one of the founders of the Foresight Institute.

NN: What is the difference between molecular nanotechnology (MNT) and molecular self-assembly?

Another difference is that self-assembly has to take place in some solvent so that the molecules can float around randomly. This increases drag, slowing the process. Molecular manufacturing should be able to do some if not all of its operations in gas or even vacuum, allowing the process to work faster.
—Chris Phoenix Director of Research, the Center for Responsible Nanotechnology

At the present time, no self-duplicating chemical-building molecular machine has been designed in detail. However, given the range of options, it seems likely that a single research group could tackle this problem and build at least a partial proof of concept device-perhaps one that can do only limited chemistry, or a limited range of shapes, but is demonstrably programmable.

Subsequent milestones would include:

1. Not relying on flushing sequences of chemicals past the machine
2. Machines capable of general-purpose manufacturing
3. Structures that allow several machines to cooperate in building large products
4. Building and incorporating control circuits

Once these are achieved, general-purpose molecular manufacturing will not be far away. And that will allow the pursuit of more ambitious goals, such as machines that can work in gas (instead of solution) or vacuum for greater mechanical efficiency. Working in inert gas or vacuum also provides a possible pathway (one of several) to what may be the ultimate performer: products built by mechanosynthesis out of carbon lattice.

From Many Options for Molecular Manufacturing