Red/Far-Red Light Switchable Cargo Attachment and Release in Bacteria-Driven Microswimmers

Intelligent micro/nanorobots based on biotemplates

Intelligent micro/nanorobots based on natural materials as biotemplates are considered to be some of the most promising robots in the future in the microscopic field. Due to the advantages of biotemplates such as unique structure, abundant resources, environmental friendliness, easy removal, low price, easy access, and renewability, intelligent micro/nanorobots based on biotemplates can be endowed with both excellent biomaterial activity and unique structural morphology through biotemplates themselves and specific functions through artificial micro/nanotechnology. Thus, intelligent micro/nanorobots show excellent application potential in various fields from biomedical applications to environmental remediation. In this review, we introduce the advantages of using natural biological materials as biotemplates to build intelligent micro/nanorobots, and then, classify the micro/nanorobots according to different types of biotemplates, systematically detail their preparation strategies and summarize their application prospects. Finally, in order to further advance the development of intelligent micro/nanorobots, we discuss the current challenges and future prospects of biotemplates. Intelligent micro/nanorobots based on biotemplates are a perfect combination of natural biotemplates and micro/nanotechnology, which is an important trend for the future development of micro/nanorobots. We hope this review can provide useful references for developing more intelligent, efficient and safe micro/nanorobots in the future.

Nanoarmor: cytoprotection for single living cells

Single cell modification or hybridization technology has become a popular direction in bioengineering in recent years, with applications in clean energy, environmental stewardship, and sustainable human development. Here, we draw attention to nanoarmor, a representative achievement of cytoprotection and functionalization technology. The fundamental principles of nanoarmor need to be studied with input from multiple disciplines, including biology, chemistry, and material science. In this review, we explain the role of nanoarmor and review progress in its applications. We also discuss three main challenges associated with its development: self-driving ability, heterojunction characteristics, and mineralization formation. Finally, we propose a preliminary classification system for nanoarmor.

Chemical Approaches for the Preparation of Bacteria - Nano/Microparticle Hybrid Systems

Bacteria represent a class of living cells that are very attractive carriers for the transport and delivery of nano- and microsized particles. The use of cell-based carriers, such as for example bacteria, may allow to precisely direct nano- or microsized cargo to a desired site, which would greatly enhance the selectivity of drug delivery and allow to mitigate side effects. One key step towards the use of such nano-/microparticle - bacteria hybrids is the immobilization of the cargo on the bacterial cell surface. To fabricate bacteria - nano-/microparticle biohybrid microsystems, a wide range of chemical approaches are available that can be used to immobilize the particle payload on the bacterial cell surface. This article presents an overview of the various covalent and noncovalent chemistries that are available for the preparation of bacteria - nano-/microparticle hybrids. For each of the different chemical approaches, an overview will be presented that lists the bacterial strains that have been modified, the type and size of nanoparticles that have been immobilized, as well as the methods that have been used to characterize the nanoparticle-modified bacteria.

Establishment of ultrasound-responsive SonoBacteriaBot for targeted drug delivery and controlled release

Bacteria-driven biohybrid microbots have shown great potential in caⁿcer treatment. However, how precisely controlling drug release at the tumor site is still an issue. To overcome the limitation of this system, we proposed the ultrasound-responsive SonoBacteriaBot (DOX-PFP-PLGA@EcM). Doxorubicin (DOX) and perfluoro-n-pentane (PFP) were encapsulated in polylactic acid-glycolic acid (PLGA) to form ultrasound-responsive DOX-PFP-PLGA nanodroplets. Then, DOX-PFP-PLGA@EcM is created by DOX-PFP-PLGA amide-bonded to the surface of E. coli MG1655 (EcM). The DOX-PFP-PLGA@EcM was proved to have the characteristics of high tumor-targeting efficiency, controlled drug release capability, and ultrasound imaging. Based on the acoustic phase change function of nanodroplets, DOX-PFP-PLGA@EcM enhance the signal of US imaging after ultrasound irradiation. Meanwhile, the DOX loaded into DOX-PFP-PLGA@EcM can be released. After being intravenously injected, DOX-PFP-PLGA@EcM can efficiently accumulate in tumors without causing harm to critical organs. In conclusion, the SonoBacteriaBot has significant benefits in real-time monitoring and controlled drug release, which has significant potential applications for therapeutic drug delivery in clinical settings.

Fabrication and Functionality Integration Technologies for Small-Scale Soft Robots

Small-scale soft robots are attracting increasing interest for visible and potential applications owing to their safety and tolerance resulting from their intrinsic soft bodies or compliant structures. However, it is not sufficient that the soft bodies merely provide support or system protection. More importantly, to meet the increasing demands of controllable operation and real-time feedback in unstructured/complicated scenarios, these robots are required to perform simplex and multimodal functionalities for sensing, communicating, and interacting with external environments during large or dynamic deformation with the risk of mismatch or delamination. Challenges are encountered during fabrication and integration, including the selection and fabrication of composite/materials and structures, integration of active/passive functional modules with robust interfaces, particularly with highly deformable soft/stretchable bodies. Here, methods and strategies of fabricating structural soft bodies and integrating them with functional modules for developing small-scale soft robots are investigated. Utilizing templating, 3D printing, transfer printing, and swelling, small-scale soft robots can be endowed with several perceptual capabilities corresponding to diverse stimulus, such as light, heat, magnetism, and force. The integration of sensing and functionalities effectively enhances the agility, adaptability, and universality of soft robots when applied in various fields, including smart manufacturing, medical surgery, biomimetics, and other interdisciplinary sciences.

Biohybrid robots: recent progress, challenges, and perspectives

The past ten years have seen the rapid expansion of the field of biohybrid robotics. By combining engineered, synthetic components with living biological materials, new robotics solutions have been developed that harness the adaptability of living muscles, the sensitivity of living sensory cells, and even the computational abilities of living neurons. Biohybrid robotics has taken the popular and scientific media by storm with advances in the field, moving biohybrid robotics out of science fiction and into real science and engineering. So how did we get here, and where should the field of biohybrid robotics go next? In this perspective, we first provide the historical context of crucial subareas of biohybrid robotics by reviewing the past 10+ years of advances in microorganism-bots and sperm-bots, cyborgs, and tissue-based robots. We then present critical challenges facing the field and provide our perspectives on the vital future steps toward creating autonomous living machines.

Recent advances in cellular optogenetics for photomedicine

Since the successful introduction of exogenous photosensitive proteins, channelrhodopsin, to neurons, optogenetics has enabled substantial understanding of profound brain function by selectively manipulating neural circuits. In an optogenetic system, optical stimulation can be precisely delivered to brain tissue to achieve regulation of cellular electrical activity with unprecedented spatio-temporal resolution in living organisms. In recent years, the development of various optical actuators and novel light-delivery techniques has greatly expanded the scope of optogenetics, enabling the control of other signal pathways in non-neuronal cells for different biomedical applications, such as phototherapy and immunotherapy. This review focuses on the recent advances in optogenetic regulation of cellular activities for photomedicine. We discuss emerging optogenetic tools and light-delivery platforms, along with a survey of optogenetic execution in mammalian and microbial cells.

Decorated bacteria and the application in drug delivery

The use of living bacteria either as therapeutic agents or drug carriers has shown great potential in treating a multitude of intractable diseases. However, cells are often fragile to unfriendly environmental stressors and limited by inadequately therapeutic responses, leading to unwanted cell death and a decline in treatment efficacy. Surface decoration of bacteria has emerged as a simple yet useful strategy that not only confers bacteria with extra capacity to resist environmental threats but also endows them with exogenous characteristics that are neither inherent nor naturally achievable. In this review, we systematically introduce the advancements of physicochemical and biological technologies for surface modification of bacteria, especially the single-cell surface decoration strategies of individual bacteria. We highlight the recent progress on surface decoration that aims to improve the bioavailability and efficacy of therapeutic bacterial agents and also to achieve enhanced and targeted delivery of conventional drugs. The promises along with challenges of surface-decorated bacteria as drug delivery systems for applications in cancer therapy, intestinal disease treatment, bioimaging, and diagnosis are further discussed with respect to future clinical translation. This review offers an overview of the advances of decorated bacteria for drug delivery applications and would contribute to the development of the next generation of advanced bacterial-based therapies.

Extracellular Optogenetics at the Interface of Synthetic Biology and Materials Science

We review fundamental mechanisms and applications of OptoGels: hydrogels with light-programmable properties endowed by photoswitchable proteins (“optoproteins”) found in nature. Light, as the primary source of energy on earth, has driven evolution to develop highly-tuned functionalities, such as phototropism and circadian entrainment. These functions are mediated through a growing family of optoproteins that respond to the entire visible spectrum ranging from ultraviolet to infrared by changing their structure to transmit signals inside of cells. In a recent series of articles, engineers and biochemists have incorporated optoproteins into a variety of extracellular systems, endowing them with photocontrollability. While other routes exist for dynamically controlling material properties, light-sensitive proteins have several distinct advantages, including precise spatiotemporal control, reversibility, substrate selectivity, as well as biodegradability and biocompatibility. Available conjugation chemistries endow OptoGels with a combinatorially large design space determined by the set of optoproteins and polymer networks. These combinations result in a variety of tunable material properties. Despite their potential, relatively little of the OptoGel design space has been explored. Here, we aim to summarize innovations in this emerging field and highlight potential future applications of these next generation materials. OptoGels show great promise in applications ranging from mechanobiology, to 3D cell and organoid engineering, and programmable cell eluting materials.

Magnetic bio-hybrid micro actuators

Over the past two decades, there has been a growing body of work on wireless devices that can operate on the length scales of biological cells and even smaller. A class of these devices receiving increasing attention are referred to as bio-hybrid actuators: tools that integrate biological cells or subcellular parts with synthetic or inorganic components. These devices are commonly controlled through magnetic manipulation as magnetic fields and gradients can be generated with a high level of control. Recent work has demonstrated that magnetic bio-hybrid actuators can address common challenges in small scale fabrication, control, and localization. Additionally, it is becoming apparent that these magnetically driven bio-hybrid devices can display high efficiency and, in many cases, have the potential for self-repair and even self-replication. Combining these properties with magnetically driven forces and torques, which can be transmitted over significant distances, can be highly controlled, and are biologically safe, gives magnetic bio-hybrid actuators significant advantages over other classes of small scale actuators. In this review, we describe the theory and mechanisms required for magnetic actuation, classify bio-hybrid actuators by their diverse organic components, and discuss their current limitations. Insights into the future of coupling cells and cell-derived components with magnetic materials to fabricate multi-functional actuators are also provided.

Recent advances in targeted drug delivery for the treatment of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

INTRODUCTION

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) has become a serious health problem with high impact worldwide. The heterogeneity of PDAC makes it difficult to apply drug delivery systems (DDS) used in other cancer models, for example, the poorly developed vascular system makes anti-angiogenic therapy ineffective. Due to its various malignant pathological changes, drug delivery against PDAC is a matter of urgent concern. Based on this situation, various drug delivery strategies specially designed for PDAC have been generated.

AREAS COVERED

This review will briefly describe how delivery systems can be designed through nanotechnology and formulation science. Most research focused on penetrating the stromal barrier, exploiting and alleviating the hypoxic microenvironment, targeting immune cells, or designing vaccines, and combination therapies. This review will summarize the ways to reverse the malignant pathological features of PDAC and hopefully provide ideas for subsequent studies.

EXPERT OPINION

Drug delivery systems designed to achieve penetrating functions or to alleviate hypoxia and activate immunity have achieved good therapeutic results in animal models in several studies. In future studies, there is a need to deliver PDAC therapeutics in a more precise manner, or the use of drug carriers for multiple functions simultaneously, are potential therapeutic strategy.

Red Light Optogenetics in Neuroscience

Optogenetics, a field concentrating on controlling cellular functions by means of light-activated proteins, has shown tremendous potential in neuroscience. It possesses superior spatiotemporal resolution compared to the surgical, electrical, and pharmacological methods traditionally used in studying brain function. A multitude of optogenetic tools for neuroscience have been created that, for example, enable the control of action potential generation via light-activated ion channels. Other optogenetic proteins have been used in the brain, for example, to control long-term potentiation or to ablate specific subtypes of neurons. In in vivo applications, however, the majority of optogenetic tools are operated with blue, green, or yellow light, which all have limited penetration in biological tissues compared to red light and especially infrared light. This difference is significant, especially considering the size of the rodent brain, a major research model in neuroscience. Our review will focus on the utilization of red light-operated optogenetic tools in neuroscience. We first outline the advantages of red light for in vivo studies. Then we provide a brief overview of the red light-activated optogenetic proteins and systems with a focus on new developments in the field. Finally, we will highlight different tools and applications, which further facilitate the use of red light optogenetics in neuroscience.

Customized materials-assisted microorganisms in tumor therapeutics

Microorganisms have been extensively applied as active biotherapeutic agents or drug delivery vehicles for antitumor treatment because of their unparalleled bio-functionalities. Taking advantage of the living attributes of microorganisms, a new avenue has been opened in anticancer research. The integration of customized functional materials with living microorganisms has demonstrated unprecedented potential in solving existing questions and even conferring microorganisms with updated antitumor abilities and has also provided an innovative train of thought for enhancing the efficacy of microorganism-based tumor therapy. In this review, we have summarized the emerging development of customized materials-assisted microorganisms (MAMO) (including bacteria, viruses, fungi, microalgae, as well as their components) in tumor therapeutics with an emphasis on the rational utilization of chosen microorganisms and tailored materials, the ingenious design of biohybrid systems, and the efficacious antitumor mechanisms. The future perspectives and challenges in this field are also discussed.

Optogenetics in bacteria - applications and opportunities

Optogenetics holds the promise of controlling biological processes with superb temporal and spatial resolution at minimal perturbation. Although many of the light-reactive proteins used in optogenetic systems are derived from prokaryotes, applications were largely limited to eukaryotes for a long time. In recent years, however, an increasing number of microbiologists use optogenetics as a powerful new tool to study and control key aspects of bacterial biology in a fast and often reversible manner. After a brief discussion of optogenetic principles, this review provides an overview of the rapidly growing number of optogenetic applications in bacteria, with a particular focus on studies venturing beyond transcriptional control. To guide future experiments, we highlight helpful tools, provide considerations for successful application of optogenetics in bacterial systems, and identify particular opportunities and challenges that arise when applying these approaches in bacteria.

Synthetic biology as driver for the biologization of materials sciences

Materials in nature have fascinating properties that serve as a continuous source of inspiration for materials scientists. Accordingly, bio-mimetic and bio-inspired approaches have yielded remarkable structural and functional materials for a plethora of applications. Despite these advances, many properties of natural materials remain challenging or yet impossible to incorporate into synthetic materials. Natural materials are produced by living cells, which sense and process environmental cues and conditions by means of signaling and genetic programs, thereby controlling the biosynthesis, remodeling, functionalization, or degradation of the natural material. In this context, synthetic biology offers unique opportunities in materials sciences by providing direct access to the rational engineering of how a cell senses and processes environmental information and translates them into the properties and functions of materials. Here, we identify and review two main directions by which synthetic biology can be harnessed to provide new impulses for the biologization of the materials sciences: first, the engineering of cells to produce precursors for the subsequent synthesis of materials. This includes materials that are otherwise produced from petrochemical resources, but also materials where the bio-produced substances contribute unique properties and functions not existing in traditional materials. Second, engineered living materials that are formed or assembled by cells or in which cells contribute specific functions while remaining an integral part of the living composite material. We finally provide a perspective of future scientific directions of this promising area of research and discuss science policy that would be required to support research and development in this field.

Reversible Design of Dynamic Assemblies at Small Scales

Emerging bottom-up fabrication methods have enabled the assembly of synthetic colloids, microrobots, living cells, and organoids to create intricate structures with unique properties that transcend their individual components. This review provides an access point to the latest developments in externally driven assembly of synthetic and biological components. In particular, we emphasize reversibility, which enables the fabrication of multiscale systems that would not be possible under traditional techniques. Magnetic, acoustic, optical, and electric fields are the most promising methods for controlling the reversible assembly of biological and synthetic subunits since they can reprogram their assembly by switching on/off the external field or shaping these fields. We feature capabilities to dynamically actuate the assembly configuration by modulating the properties of the external stimuli, including frequency and amplitude. We describe the design principles which enable the assembly of reconfigurable structures. Finally, we foresee that the high degree of control capabilities offered by externally driven assembly will enable broad access to increasingly robust design principles towards building advanced dynamic intelligent systems.

Robotized algal cells and their multiple functions

From an engineering perspective, algal cells with the abilities of perception and driving can be considered as microrobots. Site-specific, quantitative assembly of algal robots and the manipulated objects and collaborative task performance by algal robots would benefit biomedicine, environmental monitoring, and micro-nano manufacturing. Herein, site-specific, quantitative assembly and drive of algal cells are investigated. The mechanism of cell movement is analyzed, and cell motility is evaluated with or without light control. To robotize algal cells, an algae-guiding system is built, through which a swarm of algal cells is controlled to follow trajectories. By the cell adhesion method, adhesion and release between algal cells and microstructures are achieved. Algal cells successfully transport microspheres and release them at a destination. The cells are continuously operated for 60 min while carrying microspheres and they travel up to 270 mm. An optical guiding method is then developed for controlled assembly of algal robots onto fabricated micro-objects. The rotational movement of the microstructures is realized through cooperative driving by algal cells. This research provides a new biological driving method based on algal cells, which swim and behave as microrobots and are expected to benefit microassembly, microcargo traverse/delivery, and biological collaboration.

Cell primitive-based biomimetic functional materials for enhanced cancer therapy

Cell primitive-based functional materials that combine the advantages of natural substances and nanotechnology have emerged as attractive therapeutic agents for cancer therapy. Cell primitives are characterized by distinctive biological functions, such as long-term circulation, tumor specific targeting, immune modulation etc. Moreover, synthetic nanomaterials featuring unique physical/chemical properties have been widely used as effective drug delivery vehicles or anticancer agents to treat cancer. The combination of these two kinds of materials will catalyze the generation of innovative biomaterials with multiple functions, high biocompatibility and negligible immunogenicity for precise cancer therapy. In this review, we summarize the most recent advances in the development of cell primitive-based functional materials for cancer therapy. Different cell primitives, including bacteria, phages, cells, cell membranes, and other bioactive substances are introduced with their unique bioactive functions, and strategies in combining with synthetic materials, especially nanoparticulate systems, for the construction of function-enhanced biomaterials are also summarized. Furthermore, foreseeable challenges and future perspectives are also included for the future research direction in this field.

Medical Micro/Nanorobots in Precision Medicine

Advances in medical robots promise to improve modern medicine and the quality of life. Miniaturization of these robotic platforms has led to numerous applications that leverages precision medicine. In this review, the current trends of medical micro and nanorobotics for therapy, surgery, diagnosis, and medical imaging are discussed. The use of micro and nanorobots in precision medicine still faces technical, regulatory, and market challenges for their widespread use in clinical settings. Nevertheless, recent translations from proof of concept to in vivo studies demonstrate their potential toward precision medicine.

High-Yield Production of Biohybrid Microalgae for On-Demand Cargo Delivery

Biohybrid microswimmers exploit the swimming and navigation of a motile microorganism to target and deliver cargo molecules in a wide range of biomedical applications. Medical biohybrid microswimmers suffer from low manufacturing yields, which would significantly limit their potential applications. In the present study, a biohybrid design strategy is reported, where a thin and soft uniform coating layer is noncovalently assembled around a motile microorganism. Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (a single-cell green alga) is used in the design as a biological model microorganism along with polymer-nanoparticle matrix as the synthetic component, reaching a manufacturing efficiency of ≈90%. Natural biopolymer chitosan is used as a binder to efficiently coat the cell wall of the microalgae with nanoparticles. The soft surface coating does not impair the viability and phototactic ability of the microalgae, and allows further engineering to accommodate biomedical cargo molecules. Furthermore, by conjugating the nanoparticles embedded in the thin coating with chemotherapeutic doxorubicin by a photocleavable linker, on-demand delivery of drugs to tumor cells is reported as a proof-of-concept biomedical demonstration. The high-throughput strategy can pave the way for the next-generation generation microrobotic swarms for future medical active cargo delivery tasks.

Partition of nanoswimmers between two immiscible phases: a soft and penetrable boundary

The behavior of run-and-tumble nanoswimmers which can self-propel in two immiscible liquids such as water-oil systems and are able to cross the interface is investigated by dissipative particle dynamics. At the steady-state, the partition ratio (φ) of nanoswimmers between the two immiscible liquids is obtained, and it depends on the active force (F_a), run time (τ), and swimmer-solvent interactions. The partition ratio φ is found to grow generally with increasing F_a²τ. At sufficiently large F_a, it is surprising to find that hydrophilic nanoswimmers prefer to stay in the oil phase rather than in the water phase. The partition ratio is also influenced by the hydrophobicity of swimmers in the oil phase. Two simple models are proposed to describe the partition ratio, including a near-equilibrium model and a kinetic model. Surface accumulation appearing at an impenetrable interface is also observed at the fluid-fluid interface for small F_a but it vanishes for sufficiently large F_a.

Production, Purification and Characterization of Recombinant Biotinylated Phytochrome B for Extracellular Optogenetics

In the field of extracellular optogenetics, photoreceptors are applied outside of cells to obtain systems with a desired functionality. Among the diverse applied photoreceptors, phytochromes are the only ones that can be actively and reversibly switched between the active and inactive photostate by the illumination with cell-compatible red and far-red light. In this protocol, we describe the production of a biotinylated variant of the photosensory domain of A. thaliana phytochrome B (PhyB-AviTag) in E. coli with a single, optimized expression plasmid. We give detailed instructions for the purification of the protein by immobilized metal affinity chromatography and the characterization of the protein in terms of purity, biotinylation, spectral photoswitching and the light-dependent interaction with its interaction partner PIF6. In comparison to previous studies applying PhyB-AviTag, the optimized expression plasmid used in this protocol simplifies the production process and shows an increased yield and purity.

Data-driven statistical modeling of the emergent behavior of biohybrid microrobots

Multi-agent biohybrid microrobotic systems, owing to their small size and distributed nature, offer powerful solutions to challenges in biomedicine, bioremediation, and biosensing. Synthetic biology enables programmed emergent behaviors in the biotic component of biohybrid machines, expounding vast potential benefits for building biohybrid swarms with sophisticated control schemes. The design of synthetic genetic circuits tailored toward specific performance characteristics is an iterative process that relies on experimental characterization of spatially homogeneous engineered cell suspensions. However, biohybrid systems often distribute heterogeneously in complex environments, which will alter circuit performance. Thus, there is a critically unmet need for simple predictive models that describe emergent behaviors of biohybrid systems to inform synthetic gene circuit design. Here, we report a data-driven statistical model for computationally efficient recapitulation of the motility dynamics of two types of Escherichia coli bacteria-based biohybrid swarms-NanoBEADS and BacteriaBots. The statistical model was coupled with a computational model of cooperative gene expression, known as quorum sensing (QS). We determined differences in timescales for programmed emergent behavior in BacteriaBots and NanoBEADS swarms, using bacteria as a comparative baseline. We show that agent localization and genetic circuit sensitivity strongly influence the timeframe and the robustness of the emergent behavior in both systems. Finally, we use our model to design a QS-based decentralized control scheme wherein agents make independent decisions based on their interaction with other agents and the local environment. We show that synergistic integration of synthetic biology and predictive modeling is requisite for the efficient development of biohybrid systems with robust emergent behaviors.