Benefits to Humanity

Nanotechnology is the understanding and manipulation of matter at the molecular scale. At this scale, the physical and chemical properties of materials are fundamentally different from material at micrometer or larger scales. It is that fundamental difference which is both the cause of amazing challenge and potentially amazing benefit to humanity.

As we increase our understanding of nanotechnology and our ability to manipulate matter at this scale, a broad range of vital industries and applications begin to benefit. Here are some examples:

  • Medicine: New pharmaceuticals, therapeutics, drug delivery methods, skin care and protection, anti-viral coatings, biocompatible materials, nerve and tissue repair, cancer treatments, and diagnostic methods
  • Energy: Development of efficient, inexpensive catalysts for hydrogen production and storage
  • Computing: Molecular circuitry will enable significant advances in processor speed, energy efficiency, parallelization, data transfer speeds, ultra-dense storage capacity, and quantum computing.
  • Materials: New composites with significantly improved properties compared to traditional materials
  • Security: Ultra-sensitive chemical sensors

Accompanying the targeted benefits of nanotechnology are potential risks. For example, there are concerns over the toxicity of nanoscale devices. This emphasizes the importance of developing our understanding of nanoscale phenomenon so as to reduce the potential risks.

Nanoscale Simulation

Before we can productively assemble, or orchestrate the assembly of nanoscale devices and systems, we must understand them. Computer simulation of nanosystems is critical to testing and exploring our theories and ideas about nanotechnology.
  • Simulation enables us to perform experiments with nanosystems that we can not yet build.
  • It is a key part of research and development in terms of economy. Simulation can take significantly less money than owning or renting the equipment and expertise necessary to build and instrument real nanodevices
  • It enables us to perform experiments that may be too hazardous to perform otherwise

NanoHive@Home

One limitation of nanoscale computer simulation is the size of system that can be simulated. Small systems of hundreds or perhaps thousands of atoms can be simulated with a high level of quantum mechanical accuracy on single computing clusters, but systems of hundreds of thousands, or millions of atoms are prohibitively large for calculation with in-house computing hardware.

Another limitation is the number of analyses that can be performed in a timely manner. Quantum mechanical optimization of a single molecular structure can take several hours. A search for alternative minimum energy structures could involve thousands of optimizations consuming several thousand hours - years of computation.

The goal of NanoHive@Home is to perform large-scale nanosystems simulation and analysis that is otherwise too intensive to be calculated via normal means, and thereby enable further scientific study in the field of nanotechnology.

NanoHive@Home works with scientists developing large nanosystems to understand what simulations will result in publications that would have the biggest impact in the field. For example, our first production simulations are for the testing and development of a series of nanofactory mechanisms. Nanofactories, also called assemblers, are seen as one of the most important (potential) milestones in the field of nanotechnology. They are machines that build products using direct molecular manipulation. An illustrative movie of the nanofactory is available on Google Video. A slideshow is available here, and the hi-res movie is here [86.1 Mb Quicktime] See the NanoFactory project page for technical information and details about the simulations.

More Information

Here is a sampling of links to more information about nanotechnology.

The latest nanotechnology news

Nanotechnology and society

The wikipedia entry for nanotechnology is a good resource with many links to the labs, journals, and articles on the whos in nanotech.