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Borg nanoprobes

A Ferengi graphic of nanoprobes

A nanoprobe schematic

Nanoprobes assimilating blood cells

Nano probes repairing the damaged cells of a Borg

Nanoprobes were microscopic robotic devices used by the Borg for the primary purpose of assimilation, as well as to help maintain and even repair their mechanical and biological components on a microscopic level. Injected into a target's bloodstream via assimilation tubules, the nanoprobes immediately began to take over the host cells' functions. To ensure that the target could tolerate the nanoprobes, stabilizing metals such as lithium ions were also injected. Nanoprobes could also be modified for a variety of medical and technical tasks. (VOY: "Scorpion"; PIC: "Mercy")

Each drone's nanoprobes had a unique encoding sequence. (VOY: "One")

In 2024, the Borg Queen, controlling Agnes Jurati's body, consumed several automobile batteries and used the metals to produce new nanoprobes. As these nanoprobes were created from imperfect materials, the assimilation process they effected was also imperfect. The Queen later used these nanoprobes to assimilate a team of mercenaries from Spearhead Operations. (PIC: "Mercy")

Seven of Nine's body contained 3.6 million nanoprobes as of 2377. (VOY: "Inside Man")

When Borg drones attempted to assimilate Doctor Phlox of Enterprise NX-01, his Denobulan immune system was able to fight off the nanoprobes long enough for him to discover that they were vulnerable to omicron particles. However the scale of the radiation dose required to destroy every nanoprobe in his body in one blast before they could adapt to the treatment meant that this method could not be used against the assimilation process on a larger scale, Phlox only surviving due to the immune system that allowed him to resist them for so long. (ENT: "Regeneration")

In 2371, Beverly Crusher removed a nanoprobe from Geordi La Forge after he had been captured and tortured by Tolian Soran. (Star Trek Generations)

The novel Star Trek Generations explains the nanoprobe that Crusher removed was a Borg nanoprobe put in La Forge's heart by Soran to stop it at will.

In 2374, The Doctor was able to modify nanoprobes as an offensive weapon against Species 8472. He reprogrammed them to mimic the alien cells' electrochemical signatures, so that they could evade detection by Species 8472's immune systems while continuing to assimilate. They did not assimilate Species 8472, however. Rather, they disintegrated along with the cells they attached to. These nanoprobes could be delivered inside a photon torpedo or along a phaser beam. (VOY: "Scorpion", "Scorpion, Part II", "Prey")

In the same year, Seven of Nine used modified nanoprobes to revive Neelix 18 hours after his death. (VOY: "Mortal Coil") The technique wasn't used for other dead crew members, however.

Nanoprobes could be modified to reinforce a warp field. In 2375, the biomimetic duplicate of Seven of Nine used modified nanoprobes to reinforce the warp field of the warp core of the enhanced warp drive on the Silver Blood USS Voyager. She expected it would hold until the vessel reached the Silver Blood homeworld, but warned that there was less than a twenty percent possibility that Voyager would remain intact that long. (VOY: "Course: Oblivion")

Nanoprobes could also be modified to attack specific cells which contained a virus or some other disease and so help the patient recover. In 2375, Seven of Nine encoded some of her nanoprobes to assimilate the synthehol molecules in Kadi Ambassador Tomin's bloodstream, allowing him to recover from his intoxication in time to return to his people. (VOY: "Someone to Watch Over Me")

Nanoprobes could also be modified to repair damaged tissue. Between 2248 and 2378 the probe Friendship 1 crashed on Otrin's homeworld and members of Otrin's species attempted to use the probe's antimatter warp drive to power their electrical grid. The reactor exploded and poisoned the atmosphere with radiation. The crew of Voyager was sent to the surface to recover the probe and brought back Otrin and Brin's baby with them. Seven of Nine and The Doctor modified Seven's nanoprobes to repair the damaged tissue and remove the radiation from their bodies. With the test successful, the Voyager crew then applied it to the remainder of Otrin's species to treat the effects of their radiation exposure after restoring their world. (VOY: "Friendship One")

Since bio-neural circuitry was organic in nature, nanoprobes could also be used to influence or disable this type of circuitry. (VOY: "Warhead")

In 2377, Borg nanoprobes were worth six bars of latinum each on the open market. In that year, Ferengi marauders attempted to obtain Seven of Nine's nanoprobes by perpetrating an elaborate scheme in which a reprogrammed hologram of Reginald Barclay would bring Voyager to them through a geodesic fold, with the effect of killing the entire crew due to the radiation they were exposed to while traversing the fold. (VOY: "Inside Man")

See also