The ultimate nanomachine is a molecular-scale entity which can build copies of itself from simple raw materials. That is what evolution provided in DNA, DeoxyriboNucleic Acid. Almost all organisms build their infrastructure from proteins generated as chains of a few simple building blocks known as amino acids. The protein molecule is determined by the particular sequence and that sequence is encoded in the DNA molecule. In the nanofuturistic world of Eric Drexler, artificial DNA is designed and fabricates as the blueprint to build inorganic machines, even cars or rocket ships, from a "nutrient" bath. The idea of artificial DNA out of control leads some futurists to worry an all-consuming grey goo.

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Learn about DNA as an engineering-tool molecule for nanotechnology.

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