Life Sciences Faculties

Micromotors/robots extend the reach of robotic operations to submillimeter dimensions and are becoming increasingly powerful for various tasks, such as the manipulation of micro/nanoscale cargo and single-cell analysis. These microrobots have the potential to significantly advance diagnostic testing and sample analysis, offering the benefits of traditional lab-on-a-chip devices (e.g., portability, efficiency) while overcoming current challenges (e.g., complexity, predetermined design, fluid control). Our recent findings have highlighted the unique advantage of using an electric field to enable unified, label-free, and selective micromotor-based cargo manipulation and transport [1]. Additionally, we have demonstrated the capability of electrically powered micromotors to (a) carry organelles or cells, (b) electro-deform cells as a novel means of biomechanical testing, and (c) electroporate cells for the transfection of drugs/genes [2]. Recently, the addition of magnetic field actuation has been shown to enable the operation of such hybrid-powered microrobots under near-physiological media conditions required for single-cell analysis [3]. Furthermore, optoelectronic control has been shown [4] to enable trajectory reconfiguration, directed self-assembly, and the parallelized operation of many such microrobots.
[1]Y. Wu, A. Fu & G. Yossifon, Small 1906682, 1-12 (2020).
[2]Y. Wu, A. Fu & G. Yossifon, PNAS 118, 38, e2106353118 (2021).
[3]Y. Wu, S. Yakov, A. Fu & G. Yossifon, Advanced Science 2204931 (2022).
[4]S. S. Das & G. Yossifon, Advanced Science 10, 2206183 (2023).