title: Targeted cargo delivery using a rotating nickel nanowire.
abstract: This paper reports an approach to perform basic noncontact and contact manipulation tasks using rotating nickel nanowires driven by a rotating magnetic field. A rotating nanowire is capable of propulsion and steering near a solid surface by a tumbling motion. The FEM simulation shows that fluid flow is induced around the rotating nanowire, which was applied to manipulate micro-objects in a noncontact fashion. Pushing, pulling, and rotation tests of individual polystyrene microbeads are conducted on a solid surface. In addition, targeted delivery tasks of biological samples, e.g., individual flagellated microorganisms and human blood cells, are demonstrated. The results imply that rotating magnetic nanowires are good tools for handling cellular and subcellular objects in an aqueous low-Reynolds-number environment and have potential for single-cell analysis.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  In this study, the authors report the ability to push, pull, and rotate individual polystyrene microbeads on a solid surface. Furthermore, they demonstrate targeted delivery of biological samples, implying that rotating magnetic nanowires are good tools for handling cellular and subcellular objects.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Robotics and Intelligent Systems, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland. lizhang@ethz.ch
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Tristan
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Petit
authors.forename: Kathrin E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Peyer
authors.forename: Bradley J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Nelson
mesh_terms: D001773:Blood Cells / Q000166:cytology; D006801:Humans; D060526:Magnetic Fields; D008846:Micromanipulation / Q000379:methods*; D008863:Microspheres; D009038:Motion; D053770:Nanowires / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000648:ultrastructure; D009532:Nickel / Q000737:chemistry*; D012399:Rotation; D059010:Single-Cell Analysis / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D009532:Nickel