Through a grant from the NYSTAR to the Center for Advanced Technology at Cornell, researchers are now trying to grab the power, that sperm has long used for movements in our body, to drive nano-robots. The concept in simple words roams around the power house of a body, Mitochondria and glycolysis, which break down glucose to derive ATP for cells to use it later on. The process requires 10 enzymes, which a sperm tether to a fibrous sheath running from tail to head by utilizing special ‘Targeting Domains’. So that explains how sperm gains energy to approach the targeted domain.
And that very energy, Alex Travis, Cornell assistant professor of reproductive biology at the College of Veterinary Medicine’s Baker Institute for Animal Health and the study’s senior author says, will produce ATP for nano-device or nano-robots. Further these nano-robots will carry chemo drugs or antibiotics to target specific cells for treatment. The major benefit behind using these devices is that of reducing the side effect on the cells of the entire body, which do not need these drugs or chemicals.
At present, researchers could attach three of these enzymes successfully and working further for ten of them. After some time they hope to see ATP energy supplying power to attached nickel microchips.
Via: News Cornell
