Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas 274 | Gizem Gumuskaya on Building Robots from Human Cells
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Apr 29, 2024 
Gizem Gumuskaya, a postdoctoral researcher at Tufts University, dives into the fascinating world of anthrobots—robots made from living human cells. She discusses the innovative possibilities of these biological constructs in healing, drug delivery, and internal monitoring. Insights into synthetic morphogenesis and the complexities of self-replicating xenobots highlight nature's role in bioengineering. Gizem also addresses the ethical implications of merging biology with technology and the exciting future of living robots in medical applications.
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Synthetic Morphogenesis
- Gizem Gumuskaya's work blends science and engineering.
- She engineers biological systems while exploring natural morphogenesis.
Synthetic Morphogenesis Definition
- Morphogenesis is the natural process of form development, from bacteria to mammals.
- Synthetic morphogenesis guides this process for human-designed ends.
Xenobots
- Xenobots, created from frog embryos, were the first fully cellular biobots.
- Sculpting frog embryo cells into ciliated spheroids enabled movement and cell aggregation.