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August 05, 2005
Let's Use the Internet to Wriggle Sperm
Courtesy of Smart Mobs, researchers at the University of California and the University of Queensland, Australia, are using super-fast broadband connections to manipulate….sperm. The scientists are working on micromanipulation using optical tweezers that don’t damage the little swimmers. But, a connection of at least one gigabyte is needed to perform the delicate manipulation.
The sperm experiment has implications for in vitro fertilisation, Heckenberg [Norman Heckenberg, physics professor at the University of Queensland] says. “It helps to cut the tails off the sperm because it makes them easier to handle; they can’t swim away,” he says. “Then it’s a matter of drilling a hole in the side of the ova and you pop the sperm in.”
Posted by Cynthia Brumfield at August 5, 2005 10:02 AM
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