Bacterial-based biohybrid microrobots on a mission to fight cancer someday
Stuttgart – A team of scientists in the Department of Physical Intelligence at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems has combined robotics with biology by equipping E. coli bacteria with artificial components to build a biohybrid microrobot. First, as can be seen in Figure 1, the team attached several nanoliposomes to each bacterium. In its outer ring, this spherical carrier encloses a material (ICG, green particle) that melts when illuminated by near infrared light. Further to the center, within the aqueous core, liposomes encapsulate water-soluble chemotherapeutic drug (DOX) molecules. The second component the researchers attached to the bacteria were magnetic nanoparticles. When exposed to a magnetic field, the iron oxide particles serve as a boost over these already highly motile microorganisms. In this way, it is easier to control the bacterial pool – a design refined towards in vivo applications. Meanwhile, the binding strap of liposomes and magnetic particles in