CELLOIDS: towards cell-inspired autonomous microrobots

White blood cells can move inside soft tissues, squeezing through narrow gaps between cells. This is known as interstitial migration and relies on the adhesion-independent amoeboid locomotion of cells. Inspired by such cells, we aim at realizing untethered microrobots that are ultra-deformable and able to autonomously navigate soft body tissue following local cues. We refer to such microrobots as celloids. The ultra-soft microrobot body consists of a Giant Unilamellar Vesicle (GUV), a liquid droplet enclosed by a nanometer-thin lipid membrane. The GUV contains self-propelled Janus microparticles, which should lead to the amoeba-like deformation of the microrobot. Alternatively, the vesicle can be loaded with a magnetic ferrofluid to enable magnetic deformation and movement of the microrobots. Our ongoing research investigates microrobots’ behavior in porous hydrogel environments and their response to pH gradients. We perform numerical simulations (in Julia) employing active Brownian particles moving in curved confinements and found particles tend to accumulate at high curvatures. Our work in biomimetic microrobotics will potentially enable innovative solutions for precise drug delivery.