Tackling hard-to-reach infections with tiny robots

With a precise, controlled movement, microrobots clear a glass plate of a biofilm in this time-lapse sequence. — Dr HWANG GEELSU and Dr EDWARD STEAGER

Biofilms – structured communities of microorganisms that create a protective matrix shielding them from external threats, including antibiotics – are responsible for about 80% of human infections and present a significant challenge in medical treatments, often resisting conventional methods.

Dr Michel Koo Hyun of the School of Dental Medicine and Dr Edward Steager of the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania, United States, discuss in this Q&A an innovative approach they’ve partnered on: the use of small-scale robotics, i.e. microrobots, to offer a promising solution to tackle these persistent infections.