1. Deformability and stability of RBC microswimmers squeezing through confined spaces smaller than their size.
Deformability and stability of RBC microswimmers squeezing through confined spaces smaller than their size. (A) RBC microswimmers, fluorescently labeled, were able to squeeze with ease through microchannels with a width of 3 μm, which is smaller than the size of RBCs (4 to 6 μm). RBCs moving through a single channel over a time period of 0.56 s (i to iii) were highlighted with red circles. (B and C) RBC microswimmers preserved their integrity when (B) deformed inside the microchannels and (C) collected at the outlet. White arrows indicate intact RBC microswimmers, where bacteria preserved their attachment to RBCs. (D) Change in percentage of RBC microswimmers after squeezing through microfluidic channels was not statistically significant (Mann-Whitney test, P > 0.05). Error bars represent the SD. n.s., not significant.
Yunus Alapan et al. Sci. Robotics 2018;3:eaar4423
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