Bacteria Harnessed As Micro-Robot Motors

ElectricBrian writes "Researchers have found a way to propel micro-capsules by attaching bacteria (S. marcescens, the type that makes your shower curtain moldy). Scientists at Carnegie Mellon University fixed the bacteria to the micro-capsules and then used chemicals to turn on and off their motion-producing flagella. Quoting: 'In the future, such hybrid swimming micro-robots could even be used to deliver drugs inside the liquid environments of the human body, such as the urinary tract, eyeball cavity, ear, and cerebrospinal fluid...'"

Comments

Speedy little buggers

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As the attached bacteria rotate their flagella, feeding on surrounding glucose, they push their bead forward at speeds of around 15 microns per second.

As interesting as this sounds, they sure aren't going anywhere very fast.

15 microns is about 0.00059 inches, so to travel one inch, it would take about 1,700 seconds, or a half an hour. IANAD, but it seems like you'd have better luck just letting the body's digestive and circulatory systems do the work for you.

As an added bonus you won't need to start spraying Lysol's Mold and Mildew Remover in your eyes, ears, and uh, other places.