Microbiorobots for Manipulation and Sensing
Abstract
Although nano- and microfabrication techniques are rapidly advancing, it remains a challenge to fabricate separate individual microscale actuators and sensors en masse. A possible resource for such tiny elements exists within microorganisms. Specifically, the abilities of bacteria to move in a self-propelled manner and to detect and process sensory information represent enormous potential that can be harnessed and integrated into microscale robotics and biosensor systems. The objective of the proposed program is to develop a platform that integrates bacteria with enhanced motility and signaling behavior (through synthetic biology) into a microscale sensing and robotic system. The platform, termed microbiorobots (MBRs), consists of controllable, reconfigurable elements of a microscale sensing and transportation network in biofactory-on-a-chip systems. The goal of this collaborative proposal, initiated at Drexel University with the participation of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is to use multiple types of bacteria, which can be roughly categorized into two functional types, propulsion/actuation and sensing/computation, to enhance the capabilities of existing microrobots through localized sensing and computation. In pursuit of this goal, we use synthetic biology to engineer microbes capable of sensing chemicals or other environmental cues and tuning their motility. In addition we use intercellular communication to further coordinate the microbial populations. The use of bacteria as bio-info-micro systems represents a critical step toward both how microbiorobotics can be introduced as a tool in nano/microscale engineering work as well as how scientists and engineers can learn from nature using modern fabrication, genetic manipulation, and deterministic and stochastic modeling and control. This platform will be applicable in microscale assembly systems and biosensors that require autonomous coordination of bacteria.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Apr 19, 2016
- Accession Number
- AD1020770
Entities
People
- Agung Julius
- Cynthia Collins
- Hoyeon Kim
- Min Jun Kim
Organizations
- Drexel University