Ontology highlight
ABSTRACT:
SUBMITTER: Sing CE
PROVIDER: S-EPMC2818967 | biostudies-literature | 2010 Jan
REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature
Sing Charles E CE Schmid Lothar L Schneider Matthias F MF Franke Thomas T Alexander-Katz Alfredo A
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 20091218 2
Biological flows at the microscopic scale are important for the transport of nutrients, locomotion, and differentiation. Here, we present a unique approach for creating controlled, surface-induced flows inspired by a ubiquitous biological system, cilia. Our design is based on a collection of self-assembled colloidal rotors that "walk" along surfaces in the presence of a rotating magnetic field. These rotors are held together solely by magnetic forces that allow for reversible assembly and disass ...[more]