[lyka_candelario]

The beauty and wonder of nanobiotechnology or nanobiology is that it is the next big revolution in the field of medicine. Because of it, production of artificially engineered cells and organelles are possible, combining organic and inorganic substrates and substances into innovative nano-scale systems, profoundly affecting what we call life.

The term “nanobots” particularly caught my attention. Turned out, the term also has other names such as nanites, nanorobots, and nanomachines, involving the term nanometer, which is a billionth of a meter.

There are two descriptions that may be applied to the word “nanobots”:
1. A nanobot is a biological or synthetic device having the function to perform a preprogrammed task close to the atomic level.
2. It can also be a device involving the interaction in a nano-scale level. These can include a series of microscopes that can manipulate on nano-scale structures.

After it has accomplished its task, it is then dissolved, absorbed and excreted. Up to now in 2013, these machines are still into its development phase.

It would be interesting to discuss the difficulties of such marvel technology. First, there is the power supply dilemma. Implanted solar cells or batteries are sometimes not enough to sustain its purpose. However, some biological nanobots can be programmed to ingest tiny amounts of tissue in the body to gain energy. Others use a layer of radioactive material as the solution to this.

Aside from that, since they are so minute, swarms of them are needed to complete a task.

Researchers who use silicon as their choice for construction find such nanobots flexible, durable, and a conductor of electricity, but also figure that silicon does not easily dissolve in bodily fluids.

The body is a host of other foreign substances, so for medical applications, nanobot degradability can be a problem.

Because the nanomachines have a very specific task, controlled mobility must also be considered, so that they stay to the area where they should perform. However, these nanites can experience physical, chemical, and electrical stimuli affecting their response and their surroundings, which may completely defy their purpose.

Since such devices are built molecule by molecule and atom by atom, the process can be complex, thus, hindering mass production.

Nevertheless, scientists are excited to announce that in the next few years, there will be nanobots which can perform surgery in the eyes, heart, and other organs of the body, making surgery minimally to non-invasive at all.

Well, I’m looking forward!