nanobot

Autonomous machines scaled to the micrometer range (0.1 to 10 microns) engineered for molecular-level intervention and precision manufacturing.

These devices function at the intersection of robotics and molecular biology: they navigate complex biological environments to perform tasks like site-specific drug delivery. Scientists at the Wyss Institute use DNA origami to construct logic-gated payloads that open only when they encounter specific cancer biomarkers (such as PDGF). This method increases local drug concentration while slashing systemic side effects by nearly 80 percent. Beyond medicine: nanobots utilize catalytic reactions to break down microplastics in oceans or repair microscopic fissures in aerospace composites. Current propulsion systems rely on external magnetic fields or chemical gradients (like glucose concentrations) to achieve speeds of 10 micrometers per second.

https://www.nature.com/subjects/nanobots