3D-printed biobots might one day roam the insides of our bodies, sensing and neutralizing toxins, targeting tumors and releasing drugs, and acting as cellular repairmen. Research published today in Scientific Reports takes a first step toward that goal.

Engineers from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign used a 3D printer to build several designs for a wormy biobot. They started by printing 5- to 10-millimeter-long a flexible gel scaffold, and seeded it with heart cells from rats. This cardiac tissue spread over the hydrogel in a thin layer, and the cells, powered by a liquid food, beat like a heart to keep the little machine moving. As they alternately flex and relax, the cells move the hydrogel backbone back and forth, resulting in a walking motion.

For now these biobots won't win any sprints; they walk about 236 micrometers per second. The research team is working on making them faster and more powerful. And, more excitingly, the team is turning these bots into mobile sensors and responders.

To do it, engineer Rashid Bashir says the team is trying to replace the biobots' cardiac muscle with skeletal muscle. (Cardiac cells beat spontaneously, whereas skeletal muscle cells are more controllable.) Then, Bashir says, they'll incorporate neurons that could detect specific molecules in the environment, such as glucose or a toxin. The neurons could be programmed to send a neurotransmitter to contract the skeletal muscle cells whenever they sense such a toxin, and so could steer the biobot toward its source. Once there, the bot could release a drug or anti-toxin.

Future biobots might have two legs, enabling them to move forward and backwards, and they might be able to work in the open air where they could help with security and environmental monitoring. Bashir says that 3D printing is a key to the potential of biobots; it means the design is flexible and adaptable for many different purposes.

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