A ''nanofoundry'' is considered to be a

foundry A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...

that performs on a scale similar to

nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal ...

. This concept makes it similar to the role that the

nanofactory A molecular assembler, as defined by K. Eric Drexler, is a "proposed device able to guide chemical reactions by positioning reactive molecules with atomic precision". A molecular assembler is a kind of molecular machine. Some biological molecul ...

would play because it is considered to be a

factory A factory, manufacturing plant or a production plant is an industrial facility, often a complex consisting of several buildings filled with machinery, where workers manufacture items or operate machines which process each item into another. ...

that operates on that same scale model. The closest thing that nature has to a nanofoundry is the simple biological cell.''Bioconvergence - Progenitor of the Nanotechnology Age''
at Historian of the Future

Summary

General information

In silico In biology and other experimental sciences, an ''in silico'' experiment is one performed on computer or via computer simulation. The phrase is pseudo-Latin for 'in silicon' (correct la, in silicio), referring to silicon in computer chips. It ...

'' biology attempts to duplicate nature by creating a virtual cell with the complete cycle of metabolism. The idea of creating an artificial cell along with working nanofoundries is highlighted in the phenomena of bioconvergence; which may advance us from the

Information Age The Information Age (also known as the Computer Age, Digital Age, Silicon Age, or New Media Age) is a historical period that began in the mid-20th century. It is characterized by a rapid shift from traditional industries, as established during ...

to the "Nanotechnology Age." Nanofoundries and artificial cells are creating a world where

health care Health care or healthcare is the improvement of health via the prevention, diagnosis, treatment, amelioration or cure of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in people. Health care is delivered by health pr ...

, the very definition of "medicine", along with

life Life is a quality that distinguishes matter that has biological processes, such as signaling and self-sustaining processes, from that which does not, and is defined by the capacity for growth, reaction to stimuli, metabolism, energy ...

itself is entering a state of transition. This phenomenon is directly in parallel with changes in the procedures used in

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

, managing our bioresources, ultimately leading up to the ''de facto'' equivalent of bio-engineering entire ecosystems from scratch. the latest area of research involved using both micro- and nano-focused

ion beam An ion beam is a type of charged particle beam consisting of ions. Ion beams have many uses in electronics manufacturing (principally ion implantation) and other industries. A variety of ion beam sources exists, some derived from the mercu ...

s is found using nanomachining.''Nanofoundry''
at University of Surrey (United Kingdom) Preliminary studies have indicated that tissues can be successfully grown on three-dimensional structures while using ion beams on a substrate. On a larger scale, materials that appear to be smooth still have an abrasive appearance to them.
at Physorg.com Using the nanoscale, however,

atom Every atom is composed of a nucleus and one or more electrons bound to the nucleus. The nucleus is made of one or more protons and a number of neutrons. Only the most common variety of hydrogen has no neutrons. Every solid, liquid, gas, a ...

s rub off one a time. This creates new challenges for

researcher Research is "creative and systematic work undertaken to increase the stock of knowledge". It involves the collection, organization and analysis of evidence to increase understanding of a topic, characterized by a particular attentiveness t ...

s who build their devices that are only 10 atoms wide.

Current progress

One of the first nanofoundries has been set up at the

University of Madras The University of Madras (informally known as Madras University) is a public state university in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India. Established in 1857, it is one of the oldest and among the most prestigious universities in India, incorporated by an a ...

Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...

.''DRDO to set up nano foundry in Madras varsity''
at India Times Knowledge about nanotechnology would be converted into useful

consumer good A final good or consumer good is a final product ready for sale that is used by the consumer to satisfy current wants or needs, unlike a intermediate good, which is used to produce other goods. A microwave oven or a bicycle is a final good, bu ...

s through the usage of nanofoundries. Scientists do not want nanotechnology to be confined to publishing research papers in journals when it could be useful for creating nanotechnology-enhanced consumer products that would be beneficial in our 21st century society. By converting the nanotechnology curriculum of the major universities into a more industry-oriented format, it makes the technology more practical for employers as well as consumers. The ability to grow more complex structures with a high ratio allows for

drug A drug is any chemical substance that causes a change in an organism's physiology or psychology when consumed. Drugs are typically distinguished from food and substances that provide nutritional support. Consumption of drugs can be via inhala ...

release devices,

biosensor A biosensor is an analytical device, used for the detection of a chemical substance, that combines a biological component with a physicochemical detector. The ''sensitive biological element'', e.g. tissue, microorganisms, organelles, cell rece ...

s, nanoreactors, and other countless discoveries. During the following decades to come, researchers will scramble to construct the world's first nuclear nanobeam complex. This facility would offer state-of-the-art facilities to a wide range of disciplines; including the conventional sciences. Commercial manufacturing could easily be scaled up thanks to nanofoundries. Nanofactories will most likely use metal nanoparticles instead of glass, plastic or rare earth minerals that are currently used to make most of our products.Six USC Research Teams Complete Startup Boot Camp and Receive Nearly $500K to Commercialize Technologies
at Michigan Live

References

{{Levels of technological manipulation of matter Manufacturing plants Nanotechnology