Scientists are breaking out the bubbles to celebrate a new breakthrough -- and we're not talking about champagne. Tiny robots the size of a human hair, known as micromotors, have been used to cure bacterial infections in mice using bubbles.
New Scientist reports that a team from the University of California, San Diego used the micromotors to administer a daily dose of antibiotics in the stomachs of mice and found improved results compared with more conventional methods.
The tiny drug delivery vehicles contain a magnesium core that reacts with gastric acid. This generates bubbles that both propel the micromotor and reduce stomach acid levels so antibiotics aren't destroyed when released.