The world's smallest nano engine, a new step in developing nanobot

With this project, scientists hope to take another step in the nanobot manufacturing project to bring treatment into the human body, helping to enhance the effectiveness of treatment.

Scientists at the University of Texas are conducting research and development of a nanoscale micro motor with the longest operating time ever, able to fit inside a single cell. With this project, scientists hope to take another step in the project of manufacturing nanobot (nanoscale robots) to bring drugs into the human body to help improve the effectiveness of the treatment.

In the future, maybe the cancer treatment is simply taking a pill containing a nanobot army, they will go into the body and destroy cancer cells from the inside without affecting Other healthy cells. However, these robots need a power supply to operate, a type of nano engine that can operate long enough for nanobots to complete their work.

A team of researchers headed by Professor Donglei Fan has created a nanometer motor that meets that requirement. Basically, this device has a very simple structure consisting of three main parts, which are tied together by a technique based on electric fields.

This nano motor is only about 1 micrometer in size in all three dimensions, meaning it is small enough to fit inside a single cell. It can convert electrical energy to mechanical energy and maintain a speed of 18,000 rpm (equivalent to a jet engine) for 15 hours of continuous operation.

Scientists can easily control the motor's operation from the outside, turn it on / off as well as turn the rotation and even synchronize with other engines for greater productivity.

When the surface of this device is coated with biochemicals, it can release them through centrifugal force when rotating. At the same time, scientists can also adjust the dose through the speed of rotation of the motor. The next step of the project is to test a nanobot using this nano motor to deliver drugs to cells inside the body.