Microbot identifies and transports cells using magnetism and electricity

Research led by scientists at Tel Aviv University in Israel has developed micro-robots the size of biological cells. It was designed with inspiration from bacteria, sperm and other ‘floating’ cells. Microrobots are synthetic particles that move using magnetic and electric fields to identify and capture. cells special.

published in scientific journal Advanced Diary, The study explains that the microrobot works like a scanner and can help in different areas such as the environment, the discovery of medical diagnoses, the transport and screening of drugs, surgeries, and the promotion of analytical research. cells, among other areas; for example, it can identify certain cells and tell if they are healthy or not.

Only ten microns in diameter, the microbot can be controlled autonomously or by a person using a controller. One of the tiny robot’s biggest differences is its ability to identify unlabeled cells; The scientists tested the microrobot by capturing a red blood cell, cancer cells, and a bacterium to understand its functionality.

Microbot that captures cells

“The development of the microrobot’s ability to move autonomously was inspired by biological microswimmers such as bacteria and sperm. Tel Aviv University professor and study author Gilad Yossifon said, “This is innovative research that is rapidly evolving with a wide variety of uses in fields such as medicine and the environment, as well as a research tool. area,” he said.

To propel the synthetic particle, the researchers combined two micromotor methods, one that propels the microbot through a magnetic field and the other that uses electricity to propel. According to the researchers, the hybrid drive mechanism is extremely important in physiological environments where it can be actuated by magnetic and electric fields.

The research team details how the microrobot works in a short video in English posted on YouTube.