philipus/Alamy Stock Photo
Thousands of microrobots controlled by magnets could help remove heavy metals from contaminated water.
The microbots are made from iron oxide-coated mushroom spores, and cause heavy metal ions to cling to the pores they come into contact with. Once they’ve been placed into contaminated water, an external magnetic field is used to move the microrobots around. They and the heavy metals clinging to them are then recovered from the water using the same magnet.
“These magnetic spores gather into a small area, form a pattern, then we …