3D-Printed Mircofish Detect and Clean Up Toxins

Aug-26-15 Researchers have created 3D-printed microfish that could on day deliver drugs on command as well as help detect and clean up toxins.

Developed by a team at the University of California, San Diego, the microfish differ from other micro-robots in that they are easier to manufacture and can be controlled more precisely. The tiny bots are created using microscale continuous optical printing, enabling the printing of hundreds of “fish” at the same time. The design can also be easily altered using a custom CAD program. For propulsion, the microfish are equipped with iron oxide nanoparticles in the head and platinum nanoparticles in the tail, which allows the bot to be controlled by a magnet while the platinum nanoparticles react with a solution of hydrogen peroxide to propel the microfish forward.

In a proof-of-concept demonstration, the microfish were loaded with toxin-neutralizing nanoparticles and placed in a toxin solution, where they glowed darker red as they detected and bound with the toxic molecules.

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[GIZMAG.COM]
[JACOBSSCHOOL.UCSD.EDU]

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