Those are the types of constructions they want to model and study. One of Drexler's more complicated hypothetical designs of a mechanical appendage comprises about 4 million atoms. Noid and Sumpter also want to explore the possibilities of nanotechnology and positional chemistry, or obtaining chemical reactions by mechanically manipulating the structure of molecules. Sumpter believes that the Lab could use its computational science resources to simulate processes and study the positional chem- istry needed to perform them. If scientists demonstrate that they can build nanomachines, the uses they could be put to could be endless from swimming through waste pools for environmental cleanup to soaring through the bloodstream to cure disease.
Viruses are really just small machines.
Noid and Sumpter believe that ORNL is ideally positioned to contribute to the nanotechnology movement by virtue of its strengths in computational science and chemistry. Although complex nanomachines may be far in the future, simpler parts may not be so far off, and it is possible now to study characteristics such as stability and performance. We would like to do the same things with nanotech designs. We could make a valuable contribution by modeling nanomachines. It's risky to be sure, but the Lab could become a major player in making it successful.