The article appearing in Nanoscale describes research by a team including Associate Professor of Physics Benjamin Evans into the behavior of a microscale swimming device controlled with magnetic fields.
New research published by a team including Elon Associate Professor of Physics Benjamin Evans demonstrates how a “microkayak” can be manipulated by magnetic forces to transport a single cell or mix liquids at the microscopic level.
The findings are laid out in “,” an article available in the February issue of the peer-reviewed journal Nanoscale. The work was performed in collaboration with researchers at Weinberg Medical Physics, Inc.
As biophysicists dive deeper into single-molecule and single-cell experiments, it has become essential to develop mechanisms by which they can precisely and predictably manipulate microscopic matter. Nano- and microscale magnetic materials are an attractive option for doing so, since they allow non-contact interaction with the materials using macroscale magnetic fields.
In this manuscript, Evans and colleagues demonstrate magnetic control over a 5-micron-long gold and nickel rod. The configuration of the magnetic nickel component enables a novel type of motion that has never before been accomplished with magnetic micromaterials: the rod describes a double-cone rotation much like a kayaker’s paddle, and this motion allows the rod to “swim” through a fluid. The speed and direction of the swimming can be finely-controlled by the experimenters.
Evans and colleagues demonstrate that these magnetic microswimmers can be used to capture and transport a payload, such as a single cell. In addition, the kayaking motion can be used to mix viscous fluids on a microscale, which is a key barrier to the continued development of lab-on-a-chip medical diagnostic devices.
Evans has conducted extensive research on the use of magnetic forces on micromaterials. Earlier this year, t into how the use magnetic devices to control soft robots on its Science360 News website.