Researchers from the University of Basel have created a modular nanorobot, an extremely small device built at the scale of nanometers. Unlike ordinary machines that rely on electronics and computer chips, this nanorobot uses biomolecules and nanoparticles. The goal is greater flexibility than earlier versions that were usually built for only one fixed job. The new system can be changed for different uses in medicine, industry, or environmental work simply by altering one of its parts.
The nanorobot has two separate sections. One section uses magnetic force for movement. The other section acts as a carrying unit that holds four tiny sac-like containers made from long-chain molecules. These containers, called polymer vesicles, protect enzymes inside them. Enzymes are proteins that speed up particular chemical reactions. Molecules from the surroundings can enter the vesicles, react with the enzymes, and release the resulting products.
How the modules connect and perform tasks
The two sections join through matching strands of DNA that act like a programmable fastener. This connection lets the sections come together on their own in a controlled way and stay linked. The carrying section can also carry extra biomolecules that help the whole device attach to specific targets, such as the surface of certain cells. In laboratory tests the researchers used a common line of human cancer cells known as HeLa cells. When loaded with fluorescent marker molecules, the nanorobots gathered on the cell surfaces and could be seen under a microscope.
When the carrying section contained the right enzymes, the nanorobots produced an anticancer drug directly at the cells. This lowered the survival of the cancer cells to sixteen percent after seventy-two hours. Because the device can be guided to the right place, the drug effect stays concentrated rather than spreading widely. The magnetic movement section also makes it possible to collect the nanorobots after use, take the sections apart, refill the carrying unit, and reassemble them for another job. This reuse feature is especially useful for tasks such as catalysis, the speeding up of chemical reactions in industrial settings.
This research is published in Advanced Functional Materials.