World's Smallest Medical Robot could be used to deliver medication to cells

Researchers from the University of Texas at San Antonio have developed a robot that is only 120 nanometres in size.

After the technology was described in Scientific Reports, the nanobot was awarded the Guinness World Records title of Smallest Medical Robot.
 
The robot, which is too small to be seen by the human eye, can move cells to align with one another, push cells into different locations and potentially be used to deliver medication into a cell.

Study author, Ruyan Guo, explained: "In a nutshell, we have developed nanocomposite particles that can be remotely controlled by an electromagnetic field. They function like extremely tiny robots that interact with biological cells."

In the future, the technology could be developed to specifically target cancerous cells and help patients living with Alzheimer’s disease by aligning cells in the brain. "There is still much work to be done, but we are very happy for this recognition and the potential that lies ahead," Ms Guo highlighted.