Biohybrid Microtube Swimmers Driven by Single Captured Bacteria |
| |
Authors: | Morgan M Stanton Byung‐Wook Park Albert Miguel‐López Xing Ma Metin Sitti Samuel Sánchez |
| |
Affiliation: | 1. Lab‐in‐a‐Tube and Nanorobotic Biosensors, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany;2. Physical Intelligence, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Stuttgart, Germany;3. Smart Nano‐Bio‐Devices, Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC), Barcelona, Spain;4. School of Materials Science and Engineering, Harbin Institute of Technology Shenzhen Graduate School, Shenzhen, China;5. Institució Catalana de Recerca i EstudisAvancats (ICREA), Barcelona, Spain |
| |
Abstract: | Bacteria biohybrids employ the motility and power of swimming bacteria to carry and maneuver microscale particles. They have the potential to perform microdrug and cargo delivery in vivo, but have been limited by poor design, reduced swimming capabilities, and impeded functionality. To address these challenge, motile Escherichia coli are captured inside electropolymerized microtubes, exhibiting the first report of a bacteria microswimmer that does not utilize a spherical particle chassis. Single bacterium becomes partially trapped within the tube and becomes a bioengine to push the microtube though biological media. Microtubes are modified with “smart” material properties for motion control, including a bacteria‐attractant polydopamine inner layer, addition of magnetic components for external guidance, and a biochemical kill trigger to cease bacterium swimming on demand. Swimming dynamics of the bacteria biohybrid are quantified by comparing “length of protrusion” of bacteria from the microtubes with respect to changes in angular autocorrelation and swimmer mean squared displacement. The multifunctional microtubular swimmers present a new generation of biocompatible micromotors toward future microbiorobots and minimally invasive medical applications. |
| |
Keywords: | biohybrids E coli micromotors microswimmers polydopamine |
|
|