Creating a Living Nanomachine Using CRISPR Published by on

How Far We’ve Come

Science fiction has just become science. The golden age of biological engineering has begun and suddenly a whole new world of possibilities is waiting to be explored.

A new technique called CRISPR has been spreading like wildfire throughout the biomedical community. It essentially allows for manipulation of the genetics of living cells granting new levels of cellular control.



CRISPR enables researchers to target genes and genetic materials in cells to regulate how they behave and function. Because of CRISPR’s ease of engineering and programmability, it is considered a breakthrough technology with the potential to help cure disease, repair damaged body tissue and in other ways restore people’s health. Arizona State University published on EurekAlert!

This breakthrough becomes even more profound when combined with other recent developments like synthetic genetic sequences, massively parallel computing, and growing medical and genomic knowledge.

Programming a Cell

The genetic code that makes up our DNA is a blueprint that tells our cells who they are and what to do. This information is encoded by a sequence of billions of special molecules called nucleotides. These nucleotides come in four varieties which are often abbreviated as A, T, C, G.

The order of the sequence holds the information. Today sequencing DNA is cheap and widely available and companies like 23andMe will explore your DNA for a nominal fee with customized reports on your genes. This provides useful knowledge on ancestry and health risks.

Recently, we have begun to custom make DNA sequences using a special kind of printer. With CRISPR we can insert these sequences into living cells. We’ve even gone so far as to put an entirely synthetic chromosome into a genetically empty cell which went on to live and divide.

This means that we can print a custom organism with exactly the genetic code we want. This is great and all but it’s only as powerful as our knowledge of the genetic code and biochemistry.

Luckily, the last few decades have seen the development of protein folding super computers and a cloud infrastructure capable of providing unthinkable amounts of computational power anywhere in the world.

Combining this incredible technology with decades of genomic research, we have a foundation to start building upon. It’s simply incredible to think of how far we have come since the start of the human genome project in 1990.

Creating Nanomachines

So we have a fair bit of genomic knowledge, fancy computers, and the ability to create custom living cells. How do we make them into nanomachines?

The secret lies in creating a new biological programming language. The development of this language and it’s implementation will likely cause biocomputation to go from a fringe discipline to a multi-billion dollar industry.

This language will allow scientists to interact with biological systems without being experts in every biochemical process. Computer science uses the power of abstraction, or hiding the details, to greatly reduce the complexity of lower level tasks. This could allow for simple logical commands to automate the majority of the complex biochemistry.

The power of this language will actually exceed biology itself. We have already experimented with synthetic amino acids and learned how to make proteins with them. This means that artificial proteins can have unique properties that are impossible within normal biological constraints.

So how do you make a nanomachine? Build a custom DNA sequence and replace a cell’s DNA. The cell’s machinery will now be under the control of the literal “genetic code.” In the future we will be able to use advanced bioprogramming tools to make this much easier.

The first nanomachines will have to be made without these tools. To jump-start development we’ll likely begin by creating targeted modifications to existing cells. From these experiments on “cyborg” cells we’ll be able to learn and develop our knowledge and tools.

Safety and Ethics

It’s important when talking about anything that manipulates living things that we pause and think about the implications of what we’re doing. Arrogantly “playing god” is a very different thing from carefully interacting with our world.

The fundamental difference is being humble and cautious. For all that we know, infinitely more is unknown and unpredictable. Actions have consequences and any technology capable of creating superbugs and bioweapons deserves to be handled carefully.

How can we ensure that any cells we create remain under control and can be safely identified and tracked? Three elements are key.

All artificial cells should include signature strands and be registered into a public database. With a quick search anyone should be able to identify the creator, purpose, and documentation on any artificial cell. Strong safety features should be required to be implemented including kill switches, limitations on cell division, and high levels of customization for individuals and purposes to prevent undesired effects. Strong ethical oversight of all projects, which is already the standard for modern research, must be strictly enforced. While it is impossible to stop bad actors from abusing any tool, we can invest in good projects and punish those who we catch violating our shared rules.

There is no way to stop technological progress. In every generation it has brought both the power to save and the power to destroy. Some people will inevitably abuse science to harm others, but it is through the efforts of good people, not fear, that we shall overcome.

A Promising Future

So as we continue to develop the power to create and control custom cells what should we do with them? How about we cure type 1 diabetes for a start?

Type 1 diabetes is when someone has an inability to produce a hormone called insulin. Insulin is usually produced by specialized beta cells in the pancreas but with this kind of diabetes these cells are destroyed or don’t work. Without insulin our cells can’t absorb glucose so it just piles up in our blood while our cells starve.

This means that just to stay alive, people with type 1 diabetes need to inject themselves with the missing insulin multiple times every day. Missing a single dose or accidentally using too much could require emergency hospitalization. Having type 1 diabetes means living your life on a tightrope in constant danger of losing your balance.

Today, we often use external insulin pumps and glucose meters to make it easier to administer the proper amount of synthetic insulin but these solutions are expensive and imperfect. Essentially these devices track blood sugar and release insulin as needed to try and keep the levels in the proper range.

This external emulation of the pancreas is a great first step but has some major drawbacks including the need for electricity, refills, and a port into the body. These devices have come a long way since their initial development but cellular solutions could serve as a true cure instead of an automated treatment.

The human genome already has genes for glucose tracking receptors and insulin production. This means that the building blocks for our simple nanomachine cell are already built. We just have to stick them together!

A simple cell could be made that measures blood sugar and in response produces and releases insulin. Synthetic beta cells! These cells could then be implanted into the pancreas, or placed elsewhere in the body with enough blood flow and normal hormone balance should be restored.

Battling Cancer

Cancer is hard to fight because at the end of the day, cancer is you. Cancer cells are your own cells that have lost control and are now running amok. This makes it hard to treat as most treatments that could affect cancer will also affect your normal cells.

Traditionally our only real treatment options were surgical removal, chemotherapy, and radiation. As anyone who has met someone after chemo or radiation can attest, the side effects are horrendous as they are highly damaging to the body. They work because they kill fast growing cells faster than they kill the rest of you.

Cancer occurs because special regulatory genes called proto-oncogenes are mutated into cancer causing oncogenes. CRISPR offers two potential solutions.

CRISPR may be able to provide targeted gene therapy to cancerous cells and restore proper regulation. This could permanently prevent tumor growth and potentially even trigger apoptosis, a special programmed form of cell suicide. Those at risk of developing cancer could even have their proto-oncogenes reinforced to reduce cancer risk preventatively.

Second CRISPR could potentially be used to create nanomachines that target cancerous cells specifically. Potentially they could use cytotoxic killer t-cell techniques to destroy them as a supplement to the immune system. Immune boosting nanomachines could also target many other diseases besides cancer as well including superbugs.

Stem Cell Repair

Stem cells have been a popular topics in the science news for decades. These special undifferentiated cells can turn into almost any tissue in the body. If we could control them, we may be able to use them to repair almost any damage to the body, reduce aging to a crawl, and cure many degenerative diseases.

The main problem with stem cells is the same as their strength. They can become almost anything. When we try and use them we have very specific goals in mind. We want them to become a specific kind of tissue and to replace missing or damaged cells to restore function. Unfortunately, without more direction they rarely differentiate into exactly what we want.

The flexibility and potential of stem cells make them ideal candidates for CRISPR control but also the most difficult to master. If bioprogramming and genomic knowledge advance to the point where this is possible, then the ultimate biological nanomachine might be made using stem cells.

Nanomachines derived from stem cells could use their potential to differentiate into nearly any desired form or function. They would have the full potential of the existing human genome and anything else we could think to add.

Growing new organs or limbs may be possible. Nearly any non-fatal trauma could be repaired. If the brain survives, the physical body may be almost completely replaceable. The world of Westworld may not be that far away.

Countless Possibilities

Personalized medicine. Curing disease. Slowing aging. If we don’t wipe ourselves out by destroying ourselves or our planet, humanity has a bright future in front of us.

We are now entering the era of discovery where we will finally understand exactly how life works and what it is fully capable of. Gaining this incredible power will test the limits of our humanity. Are we wise enough to use this coming power to push us into the future or will we give in to greed or fear?

Many wise people have said that with great power, comes great responsibility. About 75 years ago, humanity claimed the power of nuclear energy and we almost wiped ourselves out through nuclear annihilation. The future holds even greater power and it’s coming sooner rather than later. We better start stepping up.