title: Magnetic steering control of multi-cellular bio-hybrid microswimmers.
abstract: Bio-hybrid devices, which integrate biological cells with synthetic components, have opened a new path in miniaturized systems with the potential to provide actuation and control for systems down to a few microns in size. Here, we address the challenge of remotely controlling bio-hybrid microswimmers propelled by multiple bacterial cells. These devices have been proposed as a viable method for targeted drug delivery but have also been shown to exhibit stochastic motion. We demonstrate a method of remote magnetic control that significantly reduces the stochasticity of the motion, enabling steering control. The demonstrated microswimmers consist of multiple Serratia marcescens (S. marcescens) bacteria attached to a 6 μm-diameter superparamagnetic bead. We characterize their motion and define the parameters governing their controllability. We show that the microswimmers can be controlled along two-dimensional (2-D) trajectories using weak magnetic fields (≤10 mT) and can achieve 2-D swimming speeds up to 7.3 μm s(-1). This magnetic steering approach can be integrated with sensory-based steering in future work, enabling new control strategies for bio-hybrid microsystems.
authors.affiliation: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, USA. sitti@cmu.edu.
authors.forename: Rika Wright
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Carlsen
authors.forename: Matthew R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Edwards
authors.forename: Jiang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Cecile
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pacoret
authors.forename: Metin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sitti
mesh_terms: D001709:Biotechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D060328:Magnetic Phenomena; D055616:Microtechnology / Q000295:instrumentation*; D008954:Models, Biological; D012371:Robotics / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012706:Serratia marcescens; D013550:Swimming / Q000502:physiology