Researchers have created the world's tiniest hammer to measure how force affects brain cells.
This will pave the way for better cure of traumatic brain injuries and Alzheimer's.
University of California researchers have built a tiny machine called microHammer.
Far from being isolated units of life, cells stem cells in particular take cues from their environment.
This, for example, direct them to differentiate into one type of cell or another, or to start healing processes.
However, a major limitation to understanding the reactions of individual cells to forces has been the inability to reliably apply impact or pressure to them.
MicroHammer, a cellular-scale machine built to tap, strike, squeeze and poke individual neural progenitors elicits responses that will then be studied and recorded to add to a body of knowledge that can help unlock the mysteries of the brain.
