Carnegie Mellon University researchers have developed a novel engineering approach to developing biological robots, also known as biobots. Instead of using muscle fibers or cilia for motility, as is the case in other biological machines, the new biobots, referred to as AggreBots by the university’s Ren lab, utilize human lung cells.

While cilia are effective in moving fluids in the lungs and other parts of the body, as well as for enabling aquatic creatures to swim, these nanoscopic, hair-like, organic propellers are difficult to manage and control. In this study, the team used cilia-powered biobots, known as CiliaBots, and devised a new strategy that enabled them to exert control.

Published in Science Advances, the research demonstrates that incorporating stem cell spheroids into CiliaBots proved to be effective. These spheroids contain a genetic mutation that limits the function and mobility of specific cilia areas. 

Dhruv Bhattaram, a biomedical engineering Ph.D. student and the study’s first author, explained:

“We’re pushing forward an alternative method of powering biobot tissues with our AggreBots. Through the process of fusing together different spheroids into different shapes, together with the inclusion of nonfunctional spheroids, we can precisely control the location and abundance of cilia propellers on the tissue’s surface to direct CiliaBot behavior for the first time. This is a seminal step forward that we and others can invest time into for productive outcomes.”

Victoria Webster-Wood, associate professor of mechanical engineering, added that the new engineering approach using aggregated CiliaBots, referred to as AggreBots, redefines how biobots and biohybrid robots are designed:

“Being able to combine different ciliated and non-ciliated elements modularly will allow future researchers to create biobots with specific engineered mobility patterns. Because the Aggrebots are made entirely from biological materials, they are naturally biodegradable and biocompatible, which may enable their direct application in medical settings in the future.”

The Ren lab posits that this novel strategy has the potential to benefit various fields. Charlie Ren, associate professor of biomedical engineering, stressed:

“From helping us understand the health impact of environmental hazards to facilitating in vivo therapeutic delivery, CiliaBots have a swath of potential uses, and it’s exciting to be part of their evolution.”

Read the full article here to learn more about the AggreBots approach.

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