The researchers coated sperm with magnetic nanoparticles. (This 3D image of sperm is provided for illustrative purposes only.) (Image credit: Christoph Burgstedt/Science Photo Library via Getty Images)
Researchers have created magnetically controlled “spermbots” that they can control and monitor in real time.
These tiny microrobots are bull sperm coated with magnetic nanoparticles. The researchers have not yet tested them in a real organism, be it a cow or a human, but they have shown that they can manipulate sperm inside a life-size anatomical model of the female reproductive system and track their development using X-rays.
The sperm bots, described Tuesday (Sept. 2) in the journal npj Robotics, could one day be used to improve reproductive medicine, drug delivery and infertility diagnostics, the researchers said in a statement.
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“We are transforming natural cell delivery systems into programmable microrobots,” lead study author Islam Khalil, an associate professor in the Robotics and Mechatronics research group at the University of Twente in the Netherlands, said in a statement.
Microbots are microscopic devices that scientists are developing to be placed inside the body for highly targeted treatments. For example, in 2022, researchers used an army of swimming microbots to combat deadly pneumonia in mice.
In terms of reproductive health, the researchers say the microbots could deliver drugs directly to the uterus, fallopian tubes, and other hard-to-reach parts of the female reproductive system. The study's authors suggest that such a targeted drug delivery system could improve treatment for conditions such as uterine cancer and fibroids.
Khalil was part of a team that unveiled biohybrid magnetic sperm microrobots in 2020. In the new study, the researchers found that increasing the concentration of iron oxide nanoparticles on the robots’ outer coating improved the team’s ability to control and detect these little machines while ensuring that the nanoparticles didn’t harm the uterus. At least, the robots showed no toxicity to human uterine cells after 72 hours of exposure.
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The team tested their miniature sperm bots on a 3D-printed model of a section of the female reproductive tract, using an external magnetic field to guide them from the surrogate cervix through the uterine cavity to the fallopian tubes, where fertilization most often occurs. They found that the sperm bots could be tracked in real time using X-rays, something that is not possible with natural sperm.
“Until now, visualizing sperm inside the body was almost impossible,” Khalil said.
The lack of real-time sperm tracking makes it difficult for scientists to understand reproductive health and fertility treatments, the authors said. The researchers noted that a noninvasive way to track sperm could help them better understand, for example, sperm transport systems and male infertility.
Patrick Pester, Social Links Navigator, Popular News Writer
Patrick Pester is a popular news writer for Live Science. His work has appeared on other science sites such as BBC Science Focus and Scientific American. Patrick transitioned to journalism after working for zoos and wildlife conservation organisations earlier in his career. He received a Master's Excellence Scholarship to study at Cardiff University, where he completed an MA in International Journalism. He also completed a second MA in Biodiversity, Evolution and Conservation in Action at Middlesex University in London. When he's not writing news, Patrick is an investigator into the sale of human remains.
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