Artificial microtubules enable accurate delivery of microcargoes, even against a current (IMAGE)

University of Pennsylvania

Artificial microtubules enable accurate delivery of microcargoes, even against a current

Caption

While free-swimming microrobots have been explored as a way to precisely deliver therapeutics within a blood vessel, they can disperse in the strong flows, failing to reach their target at high enough concentrations. In contrast, microrobots propelled along an artificial microtubule, developed by physicist Arnold Mathijssen and colleagues, can be transported precisely, even working against the current.

Credit

Adapted from Gu, H., Hanedan, E., Boehler, Q. et al. Artificial microtubules for rapid and collective transport of magnetic microcargoes. Nat Mach Intell (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-022-00510-7

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