Enhancing Microcargo Transport with Artificial Microtubules: A Conversation with Dr. Gu

In this episode, Dr. Gu delves into the world of microcargoes and how their transport is integral for both living organisms and various applications in microrobotics, nanotechnology, and biomedicine. Current delivery technologies often face challenges in terms of speed, navigation control, and dispersal by cardiovascular flows. But, as Dr. Gu explains, these problems are largely addressed by cytoskeletal motors in cell biology that carry vesicles along microtubule highways.Inspired by this biological mechanism, Dr. Gu presents his team's groundbreaking development of artificial microtubules (AMTs), which are structured microfibers embedded with micromagnets. These micromagnets serve as stepping stones to guide particles quickly through flow networks. Dr. Gu details how this new method facilitates microcargo travel at speeds an order of magnitude faster than existing techniques using the same driving frequency. Additionally, he shares the fascinating discovery of how strong dynamic anchoring effects significantly reduce dispersal, even against potent fluid flows.Towards the end, we learn about the potential for AMTs to enable the self-assembly of microparticles into active-matter clusters. This assembly further enhances walking speed by collectively bridging over stepping stones, indicating a unique and robust strategy for delivery within microvascular networks and minimally invasive interventions.Keywords: Dr. Gu, Microcargo, Microrobotics, Nanotechnology, Biomedicine, Artificial Microtubules, Microvascular Networks.Gu, H., Hanedan, E., Boehler, Q. et al. Artificial microtubules for rapid and collective transport of magnetic microcargoes. Nat Mach Intell (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s42256-022-00510-7