In a step forward for synthetic biology, scientists have created “Xenobots”—tiny living robots made from frog cells—that can self-heal and keep functioning after damage.
Developed by a team at Tufts University and the University of Vermont, these bots are made by shaping frog skin and heart cells into programmable forms. In a new study, damaged Xenobots were observed to regenerate and continue moving—functioning almost like simple biological machines.
The bots are biodegradable, less than a millimeter wide, and could someday be used to deliver medicine, clean microplastics, or repair tissue from within.
“These are living systems we can program,” said co-lead author Dr. Josh Bongard.
While years away from clinical use, Xenobots show how biological material can be engineered for real-world use in medicine and the environment.