Scientist: Tiny robots can find and kill diseases

By Associated Press October 25, 2013

Microscopic robots may soon be detecting and even preventing diseases instantly at doctors' offices across the nation, eliminating the need for multiple tests or treatment plans. It may sound like science fiction, but one of the nation's top nanotechnology scientists said it could be only four or five years away.

"I think it's coming pretty soon," said Dr. Shree Singh, the director of the Center for NanoBiotechnology Research at Alabama State University. "In the near future, you will have some small nanomachines that will basically cure the disease before it even happens. Basically any kind of disease diagnosis or prevention can be done through nanobiotechnology."

Singh spoke during a recent summit for state and national scientists in Montgomery, where they shared new ideas and innovations in the field. His group at ASU has worked on viral and antibacterial research…..To Read More….

My Take – When a scientist says - “I think it’s coming pretty soon” - that means he doesn’t have a clue and is failing to warn everyone there are a ton of technical problems that have to be overcome before what he's promoting becomes reality.  These kind of statements are nothing but PR to generate grant money for research….or in many cases….. intellectual welfare as it were.   Now…..having said all of that….. I believe this is research will lead the way to medicine’s next big wave of miraculous medical cures.  

I remember reading many years ago an article that claimed the public didn’t understand that medical research and medical practice are two different things.  I never forgot that and I believe there is a large degree of truth in that statement.   This is an example.  We see sci-fi shows like Star Trek showing episodes using nano-technology for all sorts of things and think this is just imagination.   We have to remember science fiction writers keep up on what’s going on in research and in some cases, like famous science fiction writer Isaac Asimov, are scientists in their own right.  Asimov was a professor of biochemistry, so when he wrote about things he did it from an inside perspective of what was going on in scientific research. 

It’s been my experience over these many years that if you read about something like this  in a science fiction book it becomes reality in varying degrees years later.  It’s my view that medical nanotechnology will become a much needed reality at some point.   Antibiotics are starting to fail as bacteria develop resistance to these life saving ‘medical miracles’, and there isn’t anything on the horizon that will take their place if they begin to fail over a growing number of deadly bacteria that are becoming resistant to all but a few antibiotics, and in some cases they will only respond to a battery of antibiotics taken over a long period of time.  Then there are some that are immune, such as the deadly salt water borne bacteria vibrio vulnificus. 

It is my belief we are approaching the limits of what we can do chemically against bacteria, and without effective antibiotics humanity would fall back into a medical dark ages with devastating consequences for humanity.   

 

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