274 | Gizem Gumuskaya on Building Robots from Human Cells
Apr 29, 2024
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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.
Anthrobots, a subset of biobots, are built by sculpting human cells into specific configurations. The goal is to engineer structures that can heal the body or deliver drugs. Unlike DNA robots or synthetic biology that design genomes, anthrobots use existing cells to self-construct into functional entities. This approach leverages nature's abilities, such as regeneration and self-construction, bringing together human design principles with biological systems.
Synthetic Morphogenesis Approach: Shifting Focus from Genetic Circuits
Traditional synthetic biology relies on genetic circuits to create patterns and structures. However, for complex structures like anthrobots that require self-construction and directionality, genetic circuits fall short. A new approach focuses on understanding how cells naturally form structures, leveraging their inherent abilities. By nudging cells that already possess specific traits, such as cilia formation in tracheal cells, towards the desired goal, synthetic morphogenesis explores the role of the environment and epigenetics in shaping morphology.
Promising Future of Anthrobots and Synthetic Morphogenesis
Anthrobots represent a shift towards engineering structures by leveraging cells' natural abilities rather than solely relying on genetic circuits. This approach, known as synthetic morphogenesis, aims to explore the environmental and epigenetic influences on cellular structure formation. By harnessing nature's innate abilities, such as cilia production in tracheal cells, anthrobots pave the way for a future where complex biological structures can be engineered without extensive genetic manipulation.
Morphogenic Engineering: Shaping Cell Behavior for Constructing Bio-Bots
The podcast highlights a fascinating approach known as morphogenic engineering aimed at reshaping cell behavior to create biological robots or bio-bots. By strategically manipulating cells within organoids, cells were induced to flip inside out, resembling gastrulation, a developmental process. The process involved dissolving the matrix surrounding cells, leading them to reorganize themselves into multicellular structures. Through this method, thousands of bio-bots were efficiently generated within weeks, demonstrating the potential for self-constructing systems based on cellular behavior.
Biological Robots' Therapeutic Potential and Self-Disintegration Feature
The discussion delves into the therapeutic applications of biological robots or bio-bots, specifically their ability to navigate human tissues and assist in nerve cell repair. Bio-bots, designed with distinct morphology and movement patterns, showcased different healing capabilities in neuronal tissues. Notably, the bio-bots exhibit self-disintegration after a defined period, mitigating concerns about unintended proliferation. The episode also explores the integration of genetic circuits to enhance bio-bot functions, laying the groundwork for innovative therapeutic interventions and advanced applications in biological engineering.
Modern biology is advancing by leaps and bounds, not only in understanding how organisms work, but in learning how to modify them in interesting ways. One exciting frontier is the study of tiny "robots" created from living molecules and cells, rather than metal and plastic. Gizem Gumuskaya, who works with previous guest Michael Levin, has created anthrobots, a new kind of structure made from living human cells. We talk about how that works, what they can do, and what future developments might bring.
Gizem Gumuskaya received her Ph.D. from Tufts University and the Harvard Wyss Institute for Biologically-Inspired Engineering. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at Tufts University. She previously received a dual master's degree in Architecture and Synthetic Biology from MIT.
