Proof-of-Concept for Nanobot “Fantastic Voyage”
In the 1966 film “Fantastic Voyage,” scientists inside a micro-submarine swam through the blood steam aiming to break up a clot in the brain. Part of the drama came from their miniaturization having a one hour time limit before the patient’s immune response destroyed their vessel. Minus the plot’s characters, researchers at the University of California at San Diego have created a submarine-like nanobot that swims through blood on a detoxification mission. “The devices are formed by coating gold nanowires with a hybrid of platelet and red blood cell membranes that allow the nanorobots to perform the tasks of two different cells at once. The platelets bind pathogens such as antibiotic-resistant MRSA bacteria, and the red blood cells absorb and neutralize toxins produced by these bacteria. The gold component responds to ultrasound, imparting the ability to swim rapidly without chemical fuel and enabling the nanorobots to efficiently mix with bacteria and toxin targets in blood and speed up detoxification.” MORE WITH PRESENTATION
Image Credit: Esteban-Fernández de Ávila/Science Robotics