🧬 DNA hacking unlocks practical 3D nanofabrication

Plus: MIT lab prints with molten metal, first electric tugboat takes to the waves                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 January 26, 2024 | [Read Online]( DNA looks set to revolutionize precision nanoscale manufacturing as researchers learn to exploit its remarkable capacity for programming to self-assemble complex functional components. Scientists have achieved a pivotal breakthrough in using coated DNA scaffolding to create customizable metallic and semiconductor nanostructures with an unprecedented degree of accuracy. In today’s [Must Read](, learn more about how programmable DNA could soon assemble high-tech electronics and components as easily as the building blocks of life itself. 🎙 New podcast [Transforming Trash into Treasure: Waste-to-Energy Innovation with Dan Nienhauser]( 🚨 Enjoy The Blueprint? You’ll love [Vital Component]( — our essential roundup of the top engineering, science, and tech news delivered every Sunday. Good morning. I’m Tim, newsletter editor at IE. This is the Blueprint. Let’s get into it! Reading time: 5 minutes Did a friend forward this e-mail to you? [Subscribe ✉]( IE+ SUPPORT INTERESTING ENGINEERING Invest In Science And Engineering Insider access to exclusive content, featuring riveting stories that take you right to the heart of the action. Engage with our thriving online community, dive into captivating science discoveries, and stay informed with our enlightening weekly premium newsletters. With IE+, quality reporting is more than just news - and it is Ad-Free. [Subscribe]( HOT TOPICS - 💀 [AI rolled out in India declares people dead, denies food to thousands]( - 🎑 [Japan’s moon lander pulls off landing and sends first images back home]( - ⚡️ [Cornell researchers develop breakthrough EV battery that charges under 5 mins]( - 🦠 [Earth's oldest rocks reveal diverse microbial ecosystem dating 3 billion years]( - 🌊 [New fail-safe mobile seawall system harnesses microtidal energy to operate]( MUST READ 🧬 [Scientists explore DNA hacking for functional 3D nanostructures]( Brookhaven scientists used silica-reinforced DNA frames to synthesize customizable 3D metallic and semiconductor nanostructures. By chemically coating the tiny lattice scaffolds, they produced accurate nanoscale alloys and compounds with aluminum and platinum. Advanced imaging then confirmed the intricate atomic assembly as x-rays penetrated different sections of the materials. Practical nanofabrication now looks increasingly viable for electronics, computing, and energy applications as customized forging transcends lab scale. The method’s ease of access and control also unlocks these previously elusive capabilities for global research partners. [Read more >]( [INNOVATION]( ⏩ [MIT’s liquid metal printing cranks out furniture ten times faster]( MIT engineers rapidly 3D-printed aluminum chair frames and tables by continuously depositing molten metal instead of solid wire like conventional methods. While forgoing fine detail for speed, their “liquid metal printing” approach hardens objects in minutes using glass bead powder beds for heat dispersion. This could slash costs for construction components or prototypes from recycled materials. [Read more >]( [TRANSPORTATION]( 🚢 [All muscle, no smoke: eWold if the first electric tugboat]( Florida shipping firm Crowley launched the first fully battery-powered tugboat for eco-friendly port maneuvers. Dubbed eWolf, the 25-meter vessel touts 178 fewer tons of emissions over ten years while matching diesel counterparts in safety and performance. The pioneering craft spotlights electrification’s inroads into maritime services. [Read more >]( JOB ALERT In this section you’ll find the latest jobs as featured on: [jobs.interestingengineering.com]( [Senior Software Engineer - Cloud Engineering Infrastructure]( at Oracle United States [Engines Project Engineer III (R38555)]( at Blue Origin, LLC Huntsville [Software Engineer - Rendering Engine, PICO]( at ByteDance San Jose (US) $194,000 - $355,000 a year [See More Jobs >]( Question of the Day How close are we to the dream of functional nanotechnology? [Close? We're already there]( [Biology *is* nanotechnology, we use it all the time!]( [DNA programming could get us there fast]( [We should be very cautious]( YESTERDAY'S RESULTS We asked what it will take to achieve commercially viable fusion. Here are the results. 🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 More innovations like liquid lithium lining (60%) 🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ The involvement of artificial intelligence (24%) ⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ It'll be pure luck, in the end (8%) ⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ It's a pipe dream, won't happen (8%) “If we could make this machine something that people could actually use to melt down recycled aluminum and print parts, that would be a game-changer in metal manufacturing.” Skylar Tibbits, co-director of the MIT Self-Assembly Lab THINGS WE LOVE [[HOTO Compressed Air Capsule] HOTO Compressed Air Capsule $109.99]( [[CIGMAN Dual Laser Distance Meter] CIGMAN Dual Laser Distance Meter $99.99]( [[TESLYAR Wood Phone Docking Station] TESLYAR Wood Phone Docking Station $39.80]( [[Magnetic Levitating Globe] Magnetic Levitating Globe $38.99]( AND ANOTHER THING - [Small dinosaurs used feathered forelimbs to startle prey, robot finds]( - [How an ant invasion led to lions eating fewer zebra in Kenyan ecosystem]( - [Meet RoboChem: An autonomous AI robot redefining chemical synthesis]( Need help with advertising? 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