Micromotors are powered by bacteria, controlled by light
When researchers deposit a drop of fluid containing thousands of free-swimming, genetically engineered E. coli onto an array of micromotors, within minutes the micromotors begin rotating. Some of the individual bacteria have swum head-first into one of the 15 microchambers etched on the outer edge of each micromotor, and with their flagella protruding outside the microchambers, together the swimming bacteria cause the micromotors to rotate, somewhat similar to how a flowing river rotates a watermill.
The researchers, led by Roberto Di Leonardo, a physics professor at Sapienza Università di Roma and at NANOTEC-CNR, both in Rome, have published a paper on the bacteria-powered micromotors in a recent issue of Nature Communications.
Gaszton Vizsnyiczai et al. "Light controlled 3D micromotors powered by bacteria." Nature Communications. DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15974
A micromotor, with microchambers shown in the inner cylindrical structure. Credit: Vizsnyiczai et al. Published in Nature Communications.
