Artificial Molecules

In recent months, more reports about micro-robots, particularly envisioned for surgical procedures, have been in the news, and this piece from ETH Zurich describes one method for making these tiny “machines.” Microspheres of polymer or silica are placed in a template and heated to form desirable shapes. Attachments to the spheres can give them magnetic, fluorescent or chemo-active properties. Other sources have reported using 3-D micro-printing for this purpose. MORE

Image Credit:  ETH Zurich / Lucio Isa