Pix: The scanning electron micrograph at left shows an overview of the silicon track, designed to coax the bacteria into moving in a uniform direction around the circular tracks. In the center, two cells glide along the wall in the track. The illustration at right of a circular track shows how the bacteria bind to and pull the rotor. Image credit: Yuichi Hiratsuka, et al.
Imagine some living bacteria powering your micromechanical motor! In fact, this is no imagination. Scientists, Yuichi Hiratsuka and his colleagues have just done that using a bacteria species – Mycoplasma mobile.
It is the M. mobile’s micrometer-sized cell body capable of gliding continuously over solid surfaces at speeds of up to 5 micrometers per second that helped the Hiratsuka’s group take advantage of.
Mycoplasma can be effectively used as a micro pump in a microTAS, helping it to eliminate the need for external pumps and pipes — a ‘true’ on-chip device is thus formed!
Via: Physorg
Spotted at: Treehugger
