Bionano, Bionanotechnology
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organic / biological devices capable of modifying their environment with molecular or atomic scale precision |
![Bionanotech](/im_store/bionano_590.jpg) Image from Bernd Helfert |
Biomolecular Nanotechnology (Bionanotech). Use of biomolecules as replicators, assemblers, or components for molecular nanotechnology; any molecular nanotechnology based on such biomolecules or biotech. Biomolecular Nanotechnology tends to be more reliable and also to have a higher adaptive/evolutionary capacity than inorganic nanotechnology (hylonanotech). It may be used as stand-alone nano or interfaced with living systems.
Bionanotech - Data Panel |
Definition | 1/ neogenic micro- and nano-organisms and organelles that function as nanites 2/ organic / biological devices capable of modifying their environment with molecular or atomic scale precision 3/ nanites constructed of organic molecules, using the same chemistry and metabolic pathways as life itself (also Sytech) |
A few alternative terms | Bionano, Wet nano, Soft nano, Soft bots |
Level | Hi Tech to Ultratech |
Scale | Microtech to Nanotech |
Substrate | Organic - CHON |
Application | almost any use, allowing for environmental limitations |
Distribution and Availability | found in all The Sephirotics, almost all Deeper Covenant polities, among most xenosophont empires, as well as in most regions outside the metaempires. Developed Worlds: universally available, and accessible to all sophonts, apart from proscribed templates. The greatest diversity can be found in the Zoeific Biopolity Elsewhere: widely available, but depends on polity |
Legal Status: | Basic templates and genomes public domain; restricted templates and genomes available for wealthy, powerful, or in many Free Zones; proscribed templates and genomes can be had outside angelnetted and supervised polities for those who know where to look. Zoeific Biopolity and NoCoZo have the most liberal laws and freest restrictions. Restricted use in ahuman polities and regions. |
Environmental Requirements | most biotech requires specific environments |
Use, Care and Maintenance | Most bionano has specific applications, depending on genome and template. It is not as versatile as some dry nano, and in some cases requires care and feeding, although other forms of bionano can easily function without supervision. Most bionano is self-healing, some is self-replicating |
Popular With | Many clades and phyles of sapient grade and above, especially biocentric and biosupremacist groups; not used by prim, and some ludd, vec, and ai clades and phyles |
During the 21st century c.e., nanotech proved a lot more elusive than was previously thought. Despite claims of a "three week revolution" in the early decades of the century, progress remained slow, and drexlerian assemblers were not found to be practical. Instead, developments in nanotech during this period more often involved organic components. The resulting "bionanotech" was still sufficient to initiate a real "second industrial revolution" in the middle and second half of the 21st century, providing mass-produced and cheap biochips (information, virtual reality, micro/organic computers), reactive clothing (changes colour with the wearer's mood), artificial life forms, advanced genetic engineering (paving the way for the "tweaks" and "splices", and of course polybuckminsterfullerene and all the other magic components to make space habitats and interplanetary colonisation possible.
Despite later developments in dry nanotech (drexlers and other mechanical assemblers), bionanotech retained tremendous popularity. One reason was the great adaptability of the bioassemblers, which were also cheap and reliable. Mechanical assemblers tended to break down and eventually cease functioning, whilst bionanites had greater redundancy and reliability, even mutational and self-healing properties. While not as environmentally robust as drynano or even synano, in the right environments, bionano can be very effective.
One large-scale application of bionanotech is biocomputing, using bacteria-scale organisms as computational elements. Many worlds have a subterranean layer of artificially introduced biogeocomputers which are an important part of the dataspace of Terragen Civilisation.
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- Bacterics
- Bio-Geo Planetary Node/Brain
- Biobots
- Bioforge
- BioGeoComputing
- Biomechanics - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Science that deals with the biont body as a mechanism to which the laws of physics are applied to study, treatment, and augment movement and athletic performance. Includes kinesiology, sports science, kinetic and athletic bioware and cyberware, and other topics.
- Biomedical Engineering - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
The design and development of medical technology, especially medical nanotechnology. Includes design and development of customized medical nanobots, synthetic biomaterials, large, small, cellular, and subcellular-scale body imaging and sensors, bio- and cybernetic implants and augmentations.
- Biomeso - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Biological mesotech; like bionano but on a meso- rather than a nano- scale.
- Bionanecology
- Bionanite - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
An individual bionano unit - a biological/organic nanobot.
- Biophysics
- Biotech Cyborg (Bioborg)
- Genematode
- Nanostasis - Text by M. Alan Kazlev
Suspension of all biological activity, by infusing the patient with cryoprotective chemicals and freezing or vitrifying (cryonic suspension), or by chemically bonding cellular components in place. See Biostasis.