Editing Self-replication (section)

===Molecular manufacturing===
{{Main|Molecular nanotechnology#Replicating nanorobots}}

[[Nanotechnology|Nanotechnologists]] in particular believe that their work will likely fail to reach a state of maturity until human beings design a self-replicating [[assembler (nanotechnology)|assembler]] of [[nanometer]] dimensions.[https://www.MolecularAssembler.com/KSRM/4.11.3.htm]

These systems are substantially simpler than autotrophic systems, because they are provided with purified feedstocks and energy.  They do not have to reproduce them. This distinction is at the root of some of the controversy about whether [[molecular manufacturing]] is possible or not.  Many authorities who find it impossible are clearly citing sources for complex autotrophic self-replicating systems.  Many of the authorities who find it possible are clearly citing sources for much simpler self-assembling systems, which have been demonstrated.  In the meantime, a [[Lego]]-built autonomous robot able to follow a pre-set track and assemble an exact copy of itself, starting from four externally provided components, was demonstrated experimentally in 2003.[https://www.MolecularAssembler.com/KSRM/3.23.4.htm]

Merely exploiting the replicative abilities of existing cells is insufficient, because of limitations in the process of [[protein biosynthesis]] {{Crossreference|(see also the listing for [[RNA]])}}.

What is required is the rational design of an entirely novel replicator with a much wider range of synthesis capabilities.

In 2011, New York University scientists have developed artificial structures that can self-replicate, a process that has the potential to yield new types of materials.  They have demonstrated that it is possible to replicate not just molecules like cellular DNA or RNA, but discrete structures that could in principle assume many different shapes, have many different functional features, and be associated with many different types of chemical species.<ref>{{cite journal | doi = 10.1038/nature10500 | last1 = Wang | first1 = Tong | last2 = Sha | first2 = Ruojie | last3 = Dreyfus | first3 = Rémi | last4 = Leunissen | first4 = Mirjam E. | last5 = Maass | first5 = Corinna | last6 = Pine | first6 = David J. | last7 = Chaikin | first7 = Paul M. | last8 = Seeman | first8 = Nadrian C. | year = 2011 | title = Self-replication of information-bearing nanoscale patterns | journal = Nature | volume = 478 | issue = 7368 | pages = 225–228 | pmid=21993758 | pmc=3192504| bibcode = 2011Natur.478..225W }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111012132651.htm | title = Self-replication process holds promise for production of new materials. | date = 17 October 2011 | website = Science Daily | access-date=17 October 2011}}</ref>

{{Crossreference|For a discussion of other chemical bases for hypothetical self-replicating systems, see [[alternative biochemistry]].}}