Spermbot

Researchers from the Institute for Integrative Nanosciences at IFW Dresden in Germany have created motorised spermbots that could improve fertility treatments. The motorised spermbots have tiny metal helices attached to the sperm cells that can aid poor swimmers or ideal sperms to reach an egg.

The metal helices serve as motors for transporting sperm cells to an egg with motion deficiencies to help them carry out their natural functions. One of the main reasons for infertility is that the sperms do not swim well enough towards the egg.

According to the researchers, the metal–coated polymer microhelices are suitable due to its potent, controllable and non–harmful 3D human motion behaviour. The tiny metalhelices are large enough to fit around the tail of a sperm and its movement can be controlled by a rotating magnetic field. Tests have shown that the motor can drive a sperm to an egg for fertilisation and then release it.