Veronika Magdanz

• microrobots

• sperm cells
• magnetic actuation
• remote control
• wireless
• soft robots
• medical robots
• bioprinting
• 3D printing

We develop microrobots for medical applications. The goal is to develop more targeted, active, but less invasive strategies for drug or cell delivery with the help of wireless, autonomously moving microrobots. One strategy is to combine biological elements with artificial components in a biohybrid approach. The biological component (cells, molecules) can serve as power source, loading unit or structural unit.

One example is the "spermbot" - a sperm cell remotely controlled with magnetic fields: https://phys.org/news/2014-01-sperm-bots-desired-video.html
Another example is IRONSperm: a magnetically functionalized nonmotile sperm driven by magnetic fields:https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.aba5855

Inspired by the motion of sperm, we also develop small scale flexible magnetic robots for noninvasive surgery (coming soon). I am also interested in reproductive biology and research that elucidates reasons for infertility. We look into the mechanisms of sperm migration and some interesting phenomena, such as sperm bundling (publication online soon)

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