ENGINEERED BIO-MOLECULAR NANODEVICES RFI 01-13; DUE 8/17/01

Notice Date

June 6, 2001

Contracting Office

Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contract Management Office (CMO), 3701 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington, VA 22203-1714

ZIP Code

22203-1714

E-Mail Address

click here to send administrative correspondence and (RFI01-13@darpa.mil)

Description

Dr. Anantha Krishnan, DARPA/MTO, Fax: (703) 696-2206. The Microsystems Technology Office (MTO) of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency is seeking sources to provide innovative concepts to assist in the development of a potential program on Engineered Bio-Molecular Nano-Devices and Systems. The focus will be on hybrid bio-molecular assemblies that operate as devices with controlled inputs and outputs. Input/Output (I/O) mechanisms may include electrical, optical, chemical, mechanical, thermal or magnetic phenomena. Leading edge nanotechnology research is enabling remarkable precision in observing, manipulating and controlling phenomena at the molecular scale. Cleverly engineered assemblies of organic and inorganic molecules are starting to function as nanodevices that have specific inputs and outputs. Biological systems show remarkable sensitivity, specificity and efficiency due to the selective evolution of molecular mechanisms over millions of years. It is anticipated that hybrid molecular assemblies involving bio-molecules would enable the exploitation of these unique aspects of biological systems while affording the control that is possible through nanotechnology. This would lead to smart' bio-molecular assemblies with new functionalities (e.g., nanosensors, nanopower generators, nanochemical factories, etc.) and significant advantages (over conventional engineering systems) in terms of size, power consumption, efficiency and ease of fabrication. The development of this technology will revolutionize sensing and detection, in-vivo diagnosis and drug delivery, repair of tissue/cell damage, integrated mechanical/electronic/chemical devices at the nanoscale, etc. This would also enable smart' large-scale integrated systems consisting of several such devices that demonstrate the attributes of automated adaptivity/reconfigurability, feedback control, fault tolerance and compensation at the system scale. This notice seeks innovative ideas for designing, fabricating and demonstrating different kinds of novel bio-molecular assemblies that form transducing elements between chemical, electrical, optical and mechanical phenomena. These devices would enable many innovative functionalities at the molecular scale such as chemically/electrically induced nano-mechanical motion, optically/electrically induced chemical synthesis, chemically induced optical/electrical reporting mechanisms, etc. The ability to control and manipulate (i.e., address) these functions at the molecular scale as well as the ability to integrate several such devices to form larger scale systems are of primary interest in this announcement. To this end an interactive web site has been established at URL: HTTPS://safe.sysplan.com/rfi.html. Individual researchers and organizations with specific, applicable expertise or capabilities may upload to the web site non-proprietary descriptions of their capabilities and interests and relevance to the stated research area. Information should be limited to three pages describing the idea/concept, its novelty and potential impact, and the capabilities and names/addresses of point of contacts (POCs). The web site will remain active from the date of publication of this request for information until 17 August 2001. All administrative correspondence and questions on this notice, including requests for information on how to submit the information to this web site, should be directed to DARPA/MTO-Krishnan, RFI 01-13, fax: (703) 696-2206, electronic mail (email): RFI01-13@darpa.mil. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding RFI 01-13. NOTICE REGARDING SOLICITATIONS: This notice is for information and planning purposes only, and does not constitute a Broad Agency Announcement, Invitation for Bid or Request for Proposal. Nothing in this notice shall be construed as a commitment by the United States Government.

Record

Loren Data Corp. 20010608/SPMSC002.HTM (W-157 SN50O167)