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Nanogenes were a type of sub-atomic robot capable of healing wounds and could also act as a defence mechanism, creating soldiers capable of protecting or guarding planets and technology.
Abilties
Nanogenes looked like minuscule, glowing specks that buzzed around their targets. They were capable of healing superficial wounds in seconds and even of reanimating the dead, provided they had an existing template for the individual. They were used as medical equipment by certain advanced races such as the Chula.
The Chula used nanogenes in war. These nanogenes enhanced the subject's physical abilities, giving them superhuman strength, telepathic abilities and Om-Com capabilities. They also could reside within a human host such as the Empty Child, and would emerge visibly when something of interest was revealed, such as when they encountered Jamie's mother Nancy and realised their error after scanning her; they recognised her as Jamie's mother and corrected the alterations they had performed on him. (DW: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)
History
In 1941, the con man Captain Jack Harkness crashed a Chula ambulance in London, planning to sell it and then allow it to be destroyed by bombing. At some time the ship was damaged and millions of nanogenes released. This led to the Empty Child plague when the Nanogenes found a dead child, wearing a gas mask and with fatal wounds. As they had never encountered a human before, they believed that this was their default form. With the child as a template, they set about transforming all humans to match his attributes, with injuries and a gas mask bonded to the face.
They eventually recognised the real DNA by finding the child's mother, therefore coming to the conclusion that they were incorrect and reversing the process. (DW: The Empty Child/The Doctor Dances)
Nanogenes were apparently still in use by the year 5 billion, as the Tenth Doctor "borrowed" some from the New New York Hospital. (NSA: Peacemaker)
The Eleventh Doctor refered to the Dalek nanocloud as nanogenes. The Daleks used this nanocloud to convert humans into Dalek puppets. In Oswin's case, however, the nanogenes fully converted her into a dalek, based on her high intelligence. (DW: Asylum of the Daleks)