Open source nanotech project launched
The CANNXS Project is based at the Center for Automation in Nanobiotech in Melbourne, Australia.
Adriano Calvacanti (right) compared his project to Linux in an open letter recently sent the UN Secretary General. The letter, which referenced the work of the late ZDNet blogger Roland Piquepielle, is aimed at building momentum and support for the effort.
He writes:
The concept is similar to the Linux approach on open source development. Hence, the work on analysis, hardware architecture, software, and information can become part of a global community to advance nanobiotechnology and biomedical instrumentation. Our aim with CANNXS is to enable everyone to have free access to nanobiotech knowledge.
The whole effort, including technical contributions and donations given to CANNXS, and sales generated from products and services developed and provided from such an open source initiative goes integrally for further research to effectively fight and cure cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and aneurysms.
The idea of doing biology through open source has been around for years, but the high cost of research, the fact that patent rights are clear in this area, and the huge pay-offs to corporate inventors have throttled it until now.
The ambivalence even extends to CAN's own home page, which bills itself: "Since 2004 - your partner for nanobiotech business."
Can Adriano Calvacanti become the Linus Torvalds of biology?