Nanotech 2004 Workshop

Biomolecular Motors - Special DARPA Workshop

The Nanotech 2004, on behalf of the Defense Sciences Office (DSO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is conducting a workshop to explore innovative concepts to develop novel engineering devices and systems based on bio-molecular motors (MM). Bio-molecular motors are nature's nanomachines that convert chemical energy into mechanical work with performance and scale unparalleled by any man-made motors or machines.

The ongoing BMM program at DARPA is developing a fundamental understanding of the operating principles of bio-molecular motors in order to exploit this knowledge to harvest, modify, and integrate these macromolecular assemblies into useful devices from the nano to macro scale. The BMM program is focusing on extracting these protein motors from biological cells and incorporating them into synthetic/engineered environments and characterizing their performance in terms of efficiency (of power conversion), force densities, robustness/stability and scaling properties.

The goal of the workshop is to help define the next step, i.e., to explore novel architectures of devices and systems that could potentially use bio-molecular motors as the basic engines for operation. The workshop will:

• Bring together leading international experts/researchers in areas of molecular biology, molecular devices, nano-fabrication, nano/micro-fluidics, drug delivery systems to generate new ideas and interactions related to BMMs.
• Focus on novel and innovative device and system applications for bio-molecular motors that have significant relevance to DoD. High-risk device/system ideas with revolutionary potential may be considered for inclusion tnto the ongoing BMM program to fabricate and evaluate several prototypes and determine relative figures of merit based on performance and potential military impact.
• Identify research talent in groups or individuals that may lack the specific track record in ABMM, but whose device/system concepts show promise of enabling revolutionary applications for bio-molecular motors.

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