‘Spermbots’ can help women conceive

The term ‘spermbot’ brings to mind autobot babies that can transform into strollers. Fortunately, it’s nothing like that.

Sperm that are poor swimmers are one of the reasons for infertility. Scientists found a way to give them an alternative to artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization which have success rates of only 30 percent.

They developed spermbots or motorized metal helices that fit around the tail of a healthy (albeit poor at swimming) sperm—like sperm jet packs, if you will. Their movements are controlled by a rotating magnetic field. Lab testing showed that spermbots can lead it to an egg and help fertilization.

Researchers say that much work still needs to be done but clinical tests are a promising start.

The study is lead by Mariana Medina-Sánchez, Lukas Schwarz, Oliver G. Schmidt and colleagues from the Institute for Integrative Nanosciences at IFW Dresden in Germany and is published in the ACS journal Nano Letters.

Category: Technology & Devices, Top Story