Researchers in the Netherlands have developed wireless magnetic microrobots that can remove blood clots from hard-to-reach arteries in sheep.

When a clot blocks a blood vessel, it cuts off oxygen to critical areas of the body. Worldwide, one in four deaths each year is linked to conditions caused by blood clots. In addition, some clots can form in inoperable locations, leading to severe long-term effects.

Scientists from EARA member Radboud UMC, Nijmegen, and the TechMed Centre at the University of Twente, designed 3D-printed magnetic robots, just one millimetre in size and shaped like tiny screws.

The microrobots - combined with clot-dissolving drugs - successfully removed a clot in a sheep’s iliac artery, which supplies blood to the legs, pelvis and reproductive organs, immediately restoring the blood flow.

Equipped with small magnets, the microrobots can be wirelessly guided through blood vessels to mechanically break up blood clots and restore circulation in otherwise inaccessible arteries.

"This tiny magnet, just one millimetre long and one millimetre in diameter, is positioned to rotate the 'screw' in both directions," explained study co-leader Islam Khalil (pictured). "This allows the robot to swim against the flow and then turn around to swim back."

Other possible uses for these microrobots could be the more precise delivery of drugs to specific areas of the body, unlocking new possibilities for advanced medical treatments.

Researchers in Australia have genetically engineered fruit flies and zebrafish to break down a highly toxic form of mercury and turn it into a less harmful gas.

Methylmercury is extremely poisonous and can affect the nervous system. It is particularly concerning as it can easily pass into the body not only through what we eat (such as seafood), but also into the brain and through the placental barrier that separates maternal blood from that of the foetus.

A study at Macquarie University, near Sydney, and CSIRO Environment, Canberra, inserted specific genes from E. coli bacteria into fruit flies and zebrafish, allowing them to produce enzymes that help a reaction that converts methylmercury to elemental mercury, which can then evaporate out of the body as a gas.

It was found that the genetically modified animals had less than half as much mercury in their bodies and could also be exposed to higher levels without it having a toxic effect.

The team believe this could be a promising approach to reduce environmental pollution and protect health, although more research is needed. 

Kate Tepper, at Macquarie (pictured, left, with Maciej Maselko), said: “It still seems like magic to me that we can use synthetic biology to convert the most environmentally harmful form of mercury and evaporate it out of an animal.”