Sono stati costruiti i primi spermatozoi robot e il loro compito non poteva non comprendere l’aiuto nella fecondazione artificiale. Questi microrobot si avvalgono dei campi magnetici per potersi muovere all’interno dell’organismo umano e saranno in grado di svolgere diverse altre mansioni: somministrare farmaci, aiutare i biologi a smistare le cellule o liberare le arterie dai trombi che ostacolano il regolare flusso sanguigno.
Frutto della collaborazione tra l’università olandese di Twente e l’Universita Tedesca del Cairo, i “Magnetospermatozoi” sono costituiti da una testa di silicio incapsulata in un “casco” di cobalto e nichel, mentre la coda è libera di muoversi. Misurano solo 322 micron e sono controllati da debolissimi campi magnetici dall'intensità di circa cinque millitesla, comparabile a quelli dei magneti decorativi per i frigoriferi. Gli scienziati stanno tentando di rimpicciolirli ulteriormente tramite una nuova coda fatta di nanofibre magnetiche.
ANSA/Gila
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