Microrobot and Cellbot Locomotion in Confined Hydrogels and Cardiac Tissue Surfaces
- 1University of Delaware
Abstract
Biohybrid cellbots and microrobots are a promising platform for targeted drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and tissue engineering. Here, we present a comparative analysis of the locomotion dynamics across synthetic substrates and ex vivo cardiac tissue to help bridge the gap presented by translating locomotion dynamics from idealized environments to biological interfaces. By subjecting the microrobots and cellbots to different substrates (specifically, cell culture dish, hydrogel, and ex vivo tissue) and applying rotating magnetic fields at varying frequencies, we characterized how surface boundary interactions and driving frequency dictate translation speed. We reveal that particles moving on tissue exhibit restricted movement based on trajectory and tissue fiber orientation. Finally, we discuss that while cellular integration introduces significant adhesive drag that reduces translation speeds, it simultaneously offers a unique clinical advantage. This study highlights the potential of balancing magnetic driving parameters against biological environments to optimize for various treatment timelines and efficiency across diverse biomedical applications.
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BibTeX
@misc{kirmizitas2026microrobot,
title = {{Microrobot and Cellbot Locomotion in Confined Hydrogels and Cardiac Tissue Surfaces}},
author = {F. C. Kirmizitas and S. Mallick and S. Cherukumilli and Z. D. Lee and Y. Zhao and A. Dutta and Y. Liu and S. Das},
howpublished = {bioRxiv},
year = {2026},
month = oct,
doi = {10.64898/2026.10.19.760203},
url = {https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.19.760203v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - UNPB
TI - Microrobot and Cellbot Locomotion in Confined Hydrogels and Cardiac Tissue Surfaces
AU - F. C. Kirmizitas
AU - S. Mallick
AU - S. Cherukumilli
AU - Z. D. Lee
AU - Y. Zhao
AU - A. Dutta
AU - Y. Liu
AU - S. Das
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/10/19
PB - bioRxiv
DO - 10.64898/2026.10.19.760203
UR - https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.19.760203v1
AB - Biohybrid cellbots and microrobots are a promising platform for targeted drug delivery, minimally invasive surgery, and tissue engineering. Here, we present a comparative analysis of the locomotion dynamics across synthetic substrates and ex vivo cardiac tissue to help bridge the gap presented by translating locomotion dynamics from idealized environments to biological interfaces. By subjecting the microrobots and cellbots to different substrates (specifically, cell culture dish, hydrogel, and ex vivo tissue) and applying rotating magnetic fields at varying frequencies, we characterized how surface boundary interactions and driving frequency dictate translation speed. We reveal that particles moving on tissue exhibit restricted movement based on trajectory and tissue fiber orientation. Finally, we discuss that while cellular integration introduces significant adhesive drag that reduces translation speeds, it simultaneously offers a unique clinical advantage. This study highlights the potential of balancing magnetic driving parameters against biological environments to optimize for various treatment timelines and efficiency across diverse biomedical applications.
ER -