kill.thatdamnpatient.com

We’re getting spunk powered and micro-chips and I still can’t drive a flying car ….

With oil prices climbing higher and higher and the research into “alternative energy” grinding to a near halt, researchers have had no choice but to look to one of the most freely abundant commodities on the planet ….. sperm….

You see sperm have a rather unique trait; they can control their range and direction of movement of their tails and can convert sugar (or more correctly ATP) and use it in this process (i.e. they can feed themselves by them selves without the need for a blood supply similar to the way a leech can). This is achieved by a set of ten enzymes (think of them a molecular blenders) which break up atp (essentially the US dollar of the body, it is the most basic unifying currency in the body and is used for energy exchange) and produces movement in the tail. (The process is called gylcolysis; literally meaning to break-up sugar)

With this in mind scientists at Cornell University school of Vetrinary science have managed to get 3 of them to work on a microchip and are hoping to get all ten up and running. Provided that all things go well we could see nano-robots swimming all over our bodies powered by our own nutrients. These robots could be used to take samples from different areas, diagnose latent diseases and even cure conditions such as hypothyroidism and diabetes (the pseudo-robo-sperm swim around checking your blood sugar level, if it gets too high then they excrete insulin through mini pumps; I’m assuming there’ll also be a way to replenish the supply of insulin).

Another application is in industry, these enzymes could be the start of many micro chip driven, carb hungry appliances that should (in theory) mean that we use fossil fuels less and less. (imagine feeding your ipod … classic) as most electricity comes from kinetic energy anyway (over simplified I know).

The responsible, headed by Alex Travis have already patented the idea and are obviously looking for any company willing to invest. (Somebody is prolly going to make a killing over the next couple of years …. )

Oh and props to Delicately Realistic ! Couldn’t have done a better job myself … (high fives) (an Obama bump it is; still a fan of high fives though ….)

Bookmark to