Microfabrication is the construction of tiny things, including microscopic objects and patterns. Researchers aim to develop techniques that are biologically compatible for medicine and biomedical engineering, as well as electronics and photonics. To achieve this, they’re exploring tattooing tardigrades, eight-legged animals known for their resistance to extreme conditions.
Scientists in China have found a way to give tardigrades tattoos by dehydrating them and then exposing them to anisole, an organic compound cooled to extremely low temperatures. Using focused electron beams, researchers drew micropatterns on the tardigrades, including squares, lines, and dots. The frozen anisole layer exposed to the beam formed a new chemical compound that adhered to the tardigrade.
When warmed under vacuum, the anisole sublimated, leaving behind the pattern created by the new chemical – effectively creating a “tattoo” on the tardigrade. This process demonstrates a technique called ice lithography, invented by Gavin King. Researchers believe this approach could be used to print microelectronics or sensors onto living tissue.
While the study had a success rate of around 40% for revived tardigrades, the team expects further refinement to improve this. The results suggest potential applications in cryopreservation, biomedicine, and astrobiology. This technology could also lead to advancements in biosensing, biomimetics, and living microrobotics – tiny robots that can perform tasks inside an organism’s body.
Source: https://gizmodo.com/researchers-tattooed-tardigrades-they-promise-it-will-be-useful-2000593853