I want to jump in a provide another reference that supports jacob_cannell’s claim that cells (and RNA replication) operate close to the thermodynamic limit.
>deriving a lower bound for the amount of heat that is produced during a process of self-replication in a system coupled to a thermal bath. We find that the minimum value for the physically allowed rate of heat production is determined by the growth rate, internal entropy, and durability of the replicator, and we discuss the implications of this finding for bacterial cell division, as well as for the pre-biotic emergence of self-replicating nucleic acids. Statistical physics of self-replication—Jeremy England https://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4818538
There are some caveats that apply if we compare this to different nanobot implementations:
a substrate needing fewer atoms/bonds might be used—then we’d have to assemble fewer atoms and thus need less energy. DNA is already very compact, there is no OOM left to spare, but maybe the rest of the cell content could be improved. As mentioned, for viruses there is really no OOM left.
A heat bath and a solution of needed atoms are assumed. But no reuse of more complicated molecules. Maybe there are sweet spots in engineering space between macroscopic source materials (refined silicon, iron, pure oxygen, etc., as in industrial processes) and a nutrient soup.
I want to jump in a provide another reference that supports jacob_cannell’s claim that cells (and RNA replication) operate close to the thermodynamic limit.
There are some caveats that apply if we compare this to different nanobot implementations:
a substrate needing fewer atoms/bonds might be used—then we’d have to assemble fewer atoms and thus need less energy. DNA is already very compact, there is no OOM left to spare, but maybe the rest of the cell content could be improved. As mentioned, for viruses there is really no OOM left.
A heat bath and a solution of needed atoms are assumed. But no reuse of more complicated molecules. Maybe there are sweet spots in engineering space between macroscopic source materials (refined silicon, iron, pure oxygen, etc., as in industrial processes) and a nutrient soup.