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Micromachines
Special Issues
Biohybrid Technologies: From Materials Manufacturing to Biomedical Application
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Biohybrid Technologies: From Materials Manufacturing to Biomedical Application

A special issue of Micromachines (ISSN 2072-666X). This special issue belongs to the section "B：Biology and Biomedicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (30 April 2023) | Viewed by 15297

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Miriam Filippi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Soft Robotics Laboratory, ETH Zurich, Tannenstrasse 3, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Interests: tissue engineering; bio-hybrid robotics; regenerative medicine; magnetic systems; magnetic nanoparticles; iron oxide nanoparticles; SPIO; theranostics; tissue regeneration; stem cells; soft robotics; biohybrid robotics; micromachines; remote control; drug delivery; microrobots; neuromodulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Soft biomedical and biohybrid technologies are emergent technologies composed of compliant materials, which hold the promise of improving safety when working in close contact with humans and other species. Compliant materials, in general, have the potential to create coherent physical integration with biological materials and to be used within biomedical contexts.

The recent progress in nanotechnology, biofabrication, and tissue engineering has greatly increased our ability to construct biointegrated and biointeractive devices, involved in various biomedical applications (e.g., drug delivery, cell therapies, drug testing, etc.) or nonbiomedical uses (e.g., environmental sensing and exploration). Controllable devices composed of soft materials are suitable for structurally combining with living tissue; they elicit interaction with cells or even exploit their functionality. As an example, biohybrid robots combine living cells with flexible inorganic materials from the perspective of developing adaptive interactions with complex dynamic environments. As an engineering material, the cells offer several advantages including intrinsic softness, environmental safety and compatibility, a remarkable energy conversion efficiency, and the potential to integrate multiple functions (actuation, sensing, and control). Merging the cell multifunctionality with remote actuation controllability via electricity, magnetism, and optogenetics opens up new avenues in soft robotics as applied to healthcare and other fields.

Considering the tremendous perspectives of soft technologies in bioengineering and biological applications, this Special Issue seeks to showcase research papers and review articles that focus on the design, manufacturing, and applications of soft devices and machines that borrow materials from nature or safely interact with it. Here, we invite contributions on novel concepts of soft robotics and technologies as integrated with or applied to biology on any scale, from nano to macro.

Dr. Miriam Filippi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Micromachines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • bio-hybrid robots
  • microrobots
  • nanorobots
  • micromachines
  • soft robotics
  • bio-hybrid
  • bio-actuation
  • biomimetics
  • nano-bio interface
  • biological propulsion
  • micro-manipulation
  • bio-actuators
  • bio-integrated device
  • bio-hybrid system
  • magnetic guidance
  • magnetic nanoparticles

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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10 pages, 2948 KiB  
Article
Phytochemical-Assisted Synthesis of Fe3O4 Nanoparticles and Evaluation of Their Catalytic Activity
by Rokeya Khatun, Muhammad Shamim Al Mamun, Suravi Islam, Nazia Khatun, Mahmuda Hakim, Muhammad Sarwar Hossain, Palash Kumar Dhar and Hasi Rani Barai
Micromachines 2022, 13(12), 2077; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13122077 - 26 Nov 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 1625
Abstract
In this study, magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) were synthesized using Baccaurea ramiflora leaf extracts and characterized by visual observation, UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and EDS. The UV−Vis spectrum showed continuous absorption at 300–500 nm, confirming the formation of Fe3 [...] Read more.
In this study, magnetite nanoparticles (Fe3O4 NPs) were synthesized using Baccaurea ramiflora leaf extracts and characterized by visual observation, UV–Vis, FTIR, XRD, FESEM, and EDS. The UV−Vis spectrum showed continuous absorption at 300–500 nm, confirming the formation of Fe3O4 NPs. FTIR revealed that compounds containing the O-H group act as reducing agents during Fe3O4 NPs formation. Agglomerated spherical NPs were observed in the FESEM image. The prominent peak at ~6.4 keV in the EDS spectrum ascertained the existence of Fe, while the sharp peak at ~0.53 keV confirmed the presence of elemental oxygen. XRD patterns affirmed the crystalline nature. The size of as-synthesized NPs was observed to be 8.83 nm. The catalytic activity of Fe3O4 NPs for the reduction of methylene blue (MB) dye was monitored by UV–Vis. The maximum absorption peak of MB dye at 664 nm was almost diminished within 20 min, which revealed Fe3O4 NPs could be an excellent catalyst for wastewater treatment. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biohybrid Technologies: From Materials Manufacturing to Biomedical Application)
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14 pages, 4761 KiB  
Article
Lasered Graphene Microheaters Modified with Phase-Change Composites: New Approach to Smart Patch Drug Delivery
by Victoria Gilpin, Deetchaya Surandhiran, Cameron Scott, Amy Devine, Jill H. Cundell, Chris I. R. Gill, L. Kirsty Pourshahidi and James Davis
Micromachines 2022, 13(7), 1132; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13071132 - 18 Jul 2022
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2228
Abstract
The combination of paraffin wax and O,O′-bis(2-aminopropyl) polypropylene glycol–block–polyethylene glycol–block–polypropylene glycol was used as a phase-change material (PCM) for the controlled delivery of curcumin. The PCM was combined with a graphene-based heater derived from the laser [...] Read more.
The combination of paraffin wax and O,O′-bis(2-aminopropyl) polypropylene glycol–block–polyethylene glycol–block–polypropylene glycol was used as a phase-change material (PCM) for the controlled delivery of curcumin. The PCM was combined with a graphene-based heater derived from the laser scribing of polyimide film. This assembly provides a new approach to a smart patch through which release can be electronically controlled, allowing repetitive dosing. Rather than relying on passive diffusion, delivery is induced and terminated through the controlled heating of the PCM with transfer only occurring when the PCM transitions from solid to liquid. The material properties of the device and release characteristics of the strategy under repetitive dosing are critically assessed. The delivery yield of curcumin was found to be 3.5 µg (4.5 µg/cm2) per 3 min thermal cycle. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biohybrid Technologies: From Materials Manufacturing to Biomedical Application)
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Review

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43 pages, 7312 KiB  
Review
MEMS-Based Tactile Sensors: Materials, Processes and Applications in Robotics
by Ilker S. Bayer
Micromachines 2022, 13(12), 2051; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13122051 - 23 Nov 2022
Cited by 12 | Viewed by 7130
Abstract
Commonly encountered problems in the manipulation of objects with robotic hands are the contact force control and the setting of approaching motion. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors on robots offer several solutions to these problems along with new capabilities. In this review, we analyze [...] Read more.
Commonly encountered problems in the manipulation of objects with robotic hands are the contact force control and the setting of approaching motion. Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors on robots offer several solutions to these problems along with new capabilities. In this review, we analyze tactile, force and/or pressure sensors produced by MEMS technologies including off-the-shelf products such as MEMS barometric sensors. Alone or in conjunction with other sensors, MEMS platforms are considered very promising for robots to detect the contact forces, slippage and the distance to the objects for effective dexterous manipulation. We briefly reviewed several sensing mechanisms and principles, such as capacitive, resistive, piezoresistive and triboelectric, combined with new flexible materials technologies including polymers processing and MEMS-embedded textiles for flexible and snake robots. We demonstrated that without taking up extra space and at the same time remaining lightweight, several MEMS sensors can be integrated into robotic hands to simulate human fingers, gripping, hardness and stiffness sensations. MEMS have high potential of enabling new generation microactuators, microsensors, micro miniature motion-systems (e.g., microrobots) that will be indispensable for health, security, safety and environmental protection. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biohybrid Technologies: From Materials Manufacturing to Biomedical Application)
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30 pages, 2576 KiB  
Review
Functionalized Magnetic Nanoparticles for Alternating Magnetic Field- or Near Infrared Light-Induced Cancer Therapies
by Anilkumar Thaghalli Shivanna, Banendu Sunder Dash and Jyh-Ping Chen
Micromachines 2022, 13(8), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/mi13081279 - 08 Aug 2022
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 2998
Abstract
The multi-faceted nature of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (fMNPs) is well-suited for cancer therapy. These nanocomposites can also provide a multimodal platform for targeted cancer therapy due to their unique magnetic guidance characteristics. When induced by an alternating magnetic field (AMF), fMNPs can convert [...] Read more.
The multi-faceted nature of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles (fMNPs) is well-suited for cancer therapy. These nanocomposites can also provide a multimodal platform for targeted cancer therapy due to their unique magnetic guidance characteristics. When induced by an alternating magnetic field (AMF), fMNPs can convert the magnetostatic energy to heat for magnetic hyperthermia (MHT), as well as for controlled drug release. Furthermore, with the ability to convert near-infrared (NIR) light energy to heat energy, fMNPs have attracted interest for photothermal therapy (PTT). Other than MHT and PTT, fMNPs also have a place in combination cancer therapies, such as chemo-MHT, chemo-PTT, and chemo-PTT–photodynamic therapy, among others, due to their versatile properties. Thus, this review presents multifunctional nanocomposites based on fMNPs for cancer therapies, induced by an AMF or NIR light. We will first discuss the different fMNPs induced with an AMF for cancer MHT and chemo-MHT. Secondly, we will discuss fMNPs irradiated with NIR lasers for cancer PTT and chemo-PTT. Finally, fMNPs used for dual-mode AMF + NIR-laser-induced magneto-photo-hyperthermia (MPHT) will be discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Biohybrid Technologies: From Materials Manufacturing to Biomedical Application)
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