A physicist from the First University of Rome used a free-running light-driven E. coli to drive a 3D printed micromotor, a process similar to the flow of water that propels the waterwheel. One day, these tiny machines can perform medical tasks, such as delivering drugs into the body. The study has been published in the journal Nature Communications, entitled "Bacteria-Controlled Light-Controlled 3D Micromotors."
In the paper, the researchers said they deposited a drop of liquid containing thousands of E. coli onto a micromotor array. When some of the bacteria heads forward into any of the 15 micro-chambers etched on the outer edge of each micro-motor, and the tail protrudes outside the micro-chamber, the movement of the bacteria causes the 3D printing micro-motor to rotate. .
“Our design combines high speeds with greatly reduced fluctuations,†the researchers said. “We can produce large arrays of independently controlled rotors that use light as the ultimate energy source. One day, these devices can be used in micro-robots. Act as a cheap and disposable actuator to collect and classify individual cells in a microbiomedical laboratory."
In order for the micromotor to work properly, the researcher must make sure that it always rotates in the right way. To do this, they print the microchambers on the motor at a 45° angle to maximize the total torque and use a radial ramp to create a bacterial guiding barrier.
During the experiment, the researchers found that when many bacteria were "captured" by a micromotor, 20 rpm could be achieved. If less bacteria are caught, the speed will be lower.
To make E. coli as efficient as possible, they genetically modified E. coli strains to make them slower downstream of light stimulation. By illuminating 3D printed micromotors with different intensities of light, researchers can control their speed. By using a feedback algorithm to uniformly illuminate the micro-motor system every 10 seconds, researchers can achieve a high degree of control. They say that as long as the illumination is in place, the micromotors can be synchronized with little speed difference between them.
Researchers believe that their 3D printing bacteria-driven micromotors can be used for drug and cargo transportation in the medical field. They will continue to study and see if this can be achieved.
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