A device for transporting magnetic or magnetizable beads over a transport surface includes a chamber holding magnetic or magnetizable beads in a fluid, a transport element including the transport surface within the chamber, and a current wire structure including at least two sets of meandering current wires arranged on a side of the transport element opposite to the transport surface. The at least two sets are displaced with respect to each other in at least two directions. A switching unit switches currents individually applied to the sets of current wires according to a current driving scheme resulting in a transport of the beads over the transport surface.