Australian scientists have created the world's smallest beard, which is tiny enough to be modeled by a single red blood cell. The micro-mustache, just 5 microns wide, aims to raise awareness about men's health. The mini-mustache was made at the Melbourne Center for Nanofabrication (MCN), where scientists use the same technology to create tiny components for drugs or drug delivery systems, or for use in sensors, optics or microfluidic systems.
MCN Engineering and Operations Manager Bernie Orelup said: "The process of making a mustache is like making a miniature 'Mr. Potato' puppet accessory. We layered 3D printed polymer resin on a small handle, and then used a micro-manipulator to deftly fix it on a red blood cell to carefully create this little 'Mo'."
Blood cells were isolated from samples from voluntary donors, mounted on gold-coated slides and then coated with a 15-nanometer-thick layer of the metal. Images of the finished artwork were captured using a scanning electron microscope (SEM).
"Why" you do this is probably the question most people ask, and it's not just a question of making miniature art. The campaign encourages men to grow beards from scratch for a month to raise awareness of issues such as prostate and testicular cancer and male suicide. The goal this time is to highlight the importance of donating blood.
Australian Red Cross Life Blood spokesperson Alison Gould said: "Donating blood is not only a way to help a fellow donor, it's also a great way to learn about your own health while saving lives. Every donation includes checking heart rate, blood pressure and we also check new male donors' iron store levels. Although the mustache is small, we hope it will have a big impact and inspire some men (and women) to donate blood and do their bit for men's health."
You can get a closer look at this miniature mustache in the video below.