New 3D printing technology called 'microscale continuous optical printing' is a technology researchers have newly developed to print hundreds of microbots within seconds. The width of these microbots is even smaller than the width of a single hair.

The credit for the development of such a groundbreaking technology goes to nanoengineers at the University of California, San Diego. The researchers are currently engaged in developing fish-shaped microrobots, dubbed as 'microfish'. These can swim around efficiently in liquids.

The researchers placed the microfish in hydrogen peroxide and went ahead adding platinum nanoparticles to their tails. After the interaction happened between the particles and the liquid, the microfish were propelled forward. The researchers then added magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles to the microfish heads, which caused them steer the microrobots with magnets

The microfish are capable of serving as both detoxification systems and as toxin sensors, said Wei Zhu, a nanoengineering Ph.D. student who co-authored the report.

Toxins were effectively cleaned out from the solution after the researchers incorporated toxin-neutralizing nanoparticles into the microfish bodies. A red glow was emitted after the particles interacted with toxins. The intensity of glow was directly proportional to the presence of toxins.

"With our 3D printing technology, we are not limited to just fish shapes. We can rapidly build microrobots inspired by other biological organisms such as birds", Zhu said.

The researchers are confident that the microfish could also help encapsulate medicine and deliver it directly to drug targets in future.