Close X
Saturday, November 2, 2024
ADVT 
Health

Sperm-inspired microbots to deliver drugs

Darpan News Desk IANS, 03 Jun, 2014 10:27 AM
    Researchers, including an Indian-origin scientist, have developed sperm look-alike robots that can be used for drug delivery, in-vitro fertilisation (IVF), cell sorting and other applications at the microscopic level.
     
    The sperm-inspired microbots, developed by the team of Islam Khalil and Sarthak Misra, can be controlled by oscillating weak magnetic fields.
     
    The 322 micron-long robots consist solely of a head coated in a thick cobalt-nickel layer and an uncoated tail.
     
    When the robot is subjected to an oscillating field of less than five millitesla, it experiences a magnetic torque on its head, which causes its flagellum to oscillate and propel it forward.
     
    The researchers are then able to steer the robot by directing the magnetic field lines towards a reference point.
     
    “Our microbots are either inspired from nature or directly use living micro-organisms such as magnetotactic bacteria and sperm cells for complex micro-manipulation and targeted therapy tasks,” said Sarthak Misra from University of Twente in the Netherlands.
     
    "As technology progresses and many products get smaller, it becomes difficult to assemble objects on nano and micro-scales,” said Khalil from German University in Cairo (GUC).
     
    "MagnetoSperm can be used to manipulate and assemble objects at these scales using an external source of magnetic field to control its motion," he added.
     
    "In addition to nano-assembly, the radical downsizing afforded by the offloading of power and navigation systems opens up a wide range of biomedical tasks that MagnetoSperm can perform," Khalil said.
     
    These include targeted drug delivery, in-vitro fertilisation, cell sorting and cleaning of clogged arteries, among others.
     
    The team is now working on a method to generate a magnetic nanofibre that can be used as a flagellum.
     
    The findings were published in the journal Applied Physics Letters.

    MORE Health ARTICLES

    Scientists rewrite code of life with 'alien' DNA

    Scientists rewrite code of life with 'alien' DNA
    In a major breakthrough that could re-write the history of life on earth, scientists have successfully added an alien pair of DNA "letters" (or bases) to create the first "semi-synthetic" bacterium.

    Scientists rewrite code of life with 'alien' DNA

    Now, a DNA tool to spot cancer

    Now, a DNA tool to spot cancer
    Detecting cancer could soon become a lot easier as scientists have used DNA to develop a tool that detects and reacts to chemical changes caused by cancer cells.

    Now, a DNA tool to spot cancer

    What you were waiting for! A device that detects pee in pool

    What you were waiting for! A device that detects pee in pool
    Those who have a habit of peeing in a swimming pool, beware. Here comes a device glows green the moment it detects traces of human waste in water.

    What you were waiting for! A device that detects pee in pool

    Do humans have spiders' genes?

    Do humans have spiders' genes?
    Not only the spiderman, even you may share certain genomic similarities with spiders, a study that for the first time sequenced the genome of a spider has revealed.

    Do humans have spiders' genes?

    Anger a better motivator for volunteers than sympathy?

    Anger a better motivator for volunteers than sympathy?
    Angry people do not always raise a ruckus; they may also bring about positive changes to society with a new study showing that anger may be more effective at motivating people to volunteer than other motives.

    Anger a better motivator for volunteers than sympathy?

    Impulsive people at greater risk of food addiction

    Impulsive people at greater risk of food addiction
    Impulsive people are at greater risks of food and drug addition as impulsivity is a result of cellular activities in the part of the brain involved with reward and not a result of dysfunctional eating behaviour, a study indicated.

    Impulsive people at greater risk of food addiction