Protein carpentry
"Protein carpentry", term coined by Eric K Drexler.
High stiffness high symmetry (high density functionalizabe) protein construction kits.
Overview
The basic idea is to get something similar to Structural DNA nanotechnology (SDN) but with proteins.
Most critical and most difficult being the attainment of termination control and Hierarchical selfassembly on the upward and outward scaling aspect.
There is also some focus on integration and increase of capabilities of functionalization
and slimbing the technology levels of increasingly advanced materials.
The downward and inward capability increase.
Main advantaged compared to SDN:
- higher stiffness (core backbone possibly even positionally atomically precise at 300K)
- much higher density for functional attachment points
- possibly even vacuum stability
Difficult to compare tradeoffs: protein …
- primary structure (backbone & sidechains) is smaller than DNA (thus the much more dense attachment points)
- secondary structure (local molecular motifs like alpha helices & beta sheets) – used for stiffness
- tertiary structure (protein shape) is similar or bigger) – used for geometry
- qaternary structure (inter protein assembly) is larger than SDN voxels
Particularly of interest: Especially stiff classes of proteins
which reuse the secondary structure as the tertiary structure.
Main advantaged compared to SDN:
- Hard to get decently large orthogonally binding sets of proteins
- The doubel edged sword of brick stiffness prevent gradual unzipping on faulty selfassembly increasing the difficulty of the fist point
- generic voxels assembly with termination control like with SDN still not achieved (as of 2026)
- de-novo protein interface design is challenging, but this got way better in recent years (as of 2026)
- more expensive production/syntehsis than DNA oligomers? May depend on the specifics.
Discovered branches
Basic protein LEGO
Just small sets of still small size orthogonally binding proteins.
Overall focus: Expanding the kinematic loop – downward and inward.
Just building blocks without side-chain functionalities
Not yet downward and inward. Also barely upward & outwart. Just bare-bones beginning.
Funding issue: High cost & no near term economic value.
Functional block construction kit approach
Main page: Functional block construction kit approach
This one is especially important as this wikis author had experience within related startup.
- Focus on binding/sensing not catalyzing
- No active or passive motion here
Catalysis construction kit approach
- Main page: Catalysis construction kit approach
The Functional block construction kit approach but extended.
- aiming at not just binding/sensing but also catalysis
- possibly focus on passive or active motion here
(role of actively driven motion on catalysis still contended in Sic community)
Foldamer robot approach (incremental path)
Main page: Foldamer robot approach (incremental path)
Overall focus: Expanding the kinematic loop – upward and outward.
Aiming to scale capability to bigger sets of bigger size orthogonally binding proteins before focus on functionalization.
Seems (2019 … 2026 …) this is gradually and accidentally happening in research that is
not dedicatedly focused towards advanced APM i.e. not dedicatedly focused on
usage of proteins to get beyond the material of just proteins ASAP.
Advanced function carrying protein carpentry
For expanding the kinematic loop this very pushingly and relatively early tries to combines: The "upward and outward" and "downward and inward" scaling aspects.
Foldamer printer
Main page: Foldamer printer approach (incremental path)
A concept of xyz assembly satage like a 3D printer but simplifies by site activation an flow in flush by feedstock to avert complexities of feedstock delivery and pickup.
Intended usage is in solution. These devices may or may not be surface bound.
Challenges:
- Still way beyond current capabilities (2026)
- Way past suspense of disbelief of scientific community (experience 2019)
Modular molecular composite nanosystem
Main page: Modular molecular composite nanosystem
A distributed system of protein (foldamer) mechanisms.
Most likely on a flat chip (but it could be surface anchored or free floating 3D aggregates too.
Flat on chip for:
– analytic access (e.g. confocal microscopy)
– eventual pass-over to a mixed path that is critically dependent on flat on surface architectures
… The direct path analog to join up with is the Early diamondoid nanosystem pixel (direct path)
It may contain other foldamer techologies than just proteins.
Eventually transitioning to better stiffer aterials up the technology levels.
Some parts may eventually more or less resemble the precedingly described foldamer printers.
Still in solution maybe transitioning to dry.
SDN is mist likely breaking when dry so that would be out by then.
Related
- Turn left later: Foldamer robot approach (incremental path)
- Turn left here: Foldamer printer approach (incremental path)
- Turn left earlier: Catalysis construction kit approach & Functional block construction kit approach
- Diagram for these directions is here: Positional assembly redundancy blockade