Biohybrid Robot Responds to Light to Deliver Drugs

May-16-19 A shape-shifting, biohybrid robot inspired by whales will swim through the bloodstream to deliver targeted medication with impressive maneuverability.

The robot is made up of a 3D-printed, airplane wing-shaped structure coated in heart muscle cells. The cells will beat when exposed to light, causing the robot’s tail fin to undulate and propel it through the bloodstream much in the way a whale’s tail moves it through the water. The key advantage to the robot, however, is its ability to stop and start on command by instantly transforming the shape of its wing, offering “unprecedented controllability and responsiveness” and a promising way to deliver medication cancer cells.

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[CO.UK]
[EUREKALERT.ORG]

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