Synthetic Cells: Programming Life-Like Behaviours in Minimal Systems

Synthetic cells offer a powerful platform to explore active matter in a fully controllable, minimal context. In our work, we construct dynamic vesicle-based systems that mimic key cellular behaviours such as contraction, motility, fusion, and stimulus-responsive shape change. These synthetic cells are engineered with tunable membrane properties, enabling programmable mechanics, compartmentalisation, and selective responsiveness. By integrating soft matter design with bioinspired functionality, we aim to dissect how activity emerges and propagates in out-of-equilibrium systems. In parallel, we develop biohybrid systems, where synthetic modules are interfaced with living cells to enhance their stability or introduce new functions. Our work bridges synthetic biology, membrane biophysics, and active matter, and contributes to understanding how complex behaviours can arise from minimal components.

Designing run and tumble dynamics of active lipid vesicles

The creation of bioinspired microswimmers with adaptive motility presents significant potential to de- sign advanced synthetic cells and biomimetic systems. Colloidal active swimmers are broadly used as model systems to design microscopic swimmers, yet their rigid and solid architecture limits their adaptability and functionality. A promising alternative is using soft compartments such as giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) as biological scaffolds for the design of cell-mimetic motile architectures.

Here, we fabricate phase-separated Janus lipid vesicles, harnessing the fluidity of lipid membranes to achieve reconfigurable motion. Under external electric fields, these asymmetric compartments self-propelled, and exhibit transient run-and-tumble-like dynamics due to the membrane fluidity interacting with the electric field. Moreover, by adjusting the lipid composition and using temperature as an external trigger, we modulate membrane fluidity and phase separation. Thus, we tune in-situ the frequency of tumble events by controlling the mixing of both phases. We study the spatial-dependent motion under stable temperature gradients leading to interesting dynamical patterns. Our findings demonstrate the potential of synthetic cell membranes as architectures to replicate the intricate motility reminiscent of cells, providing an important step toward creating next generation microswimmers relying on the inherent reconfigurable membrane properties.

Autonomous life-like behavior emerging in active and flexible synthetic microrobots

The intrinsic interplay between shape and activity is fundamental to locomotion and environmental adaptation in many organisms. Emulating such feedback in synthetic microrobots represents a key strategy for achieving emergent, life-like behaviors. However, current microrobotic systems typically are either active but rigid, or flexible without activity. Here, we present a novel approach that successfully integrates both activity and flexibility through 3D microprinting concatenated units which are subsequently actuated with an AC electric field. This integrated system exhibits a rich set of biomimetic motion modes, including railway and undulatory locomotion, rotation, and beating. Critically, these structures also demonstrate emergent sense-response capabilities, enabling autonomous reorientation, navigation, and collision avoidance in complex environment. Our approach establishes a versatile platform for the investigation of biomimetic model systems and the development of autonomously operating microrobots with embodied intelligence.

From Hard To Soft Small-Scale Magnetic Devices

Bio-inspired soft robotics, driven by magnetic shape-morphing actuation, holds transformative potential for developing intelligent machines that emulate the versatile movement of marine worms. Drawing on simple yet highly effective eversion and peristaltic locomotion strategies observed in these organisms, this talk explores the design and fabrication of worm-like small-scale robots without conventional control architectures. Responsive materials act as autonomous activation units, allowing these robots to navigate and adapt to complex, dynamic environments. Experimental results highlight enhanced flexibility, compliance, and safe interaction with surroundings, making these systems promising candidates for challenging tasks such as drug delivery, endoluminal surgery, and repairing disconnected flexible conduits. By mimicking biological complexity, such robots could bridge the gap between materials and machines and establish a new class of intelligent, adaptive small-scale soft robotic platforms for diverse biomedical and engineering applications.

Harnessing mechanobiology for the engineering of biological machines

Engineered tissues have the potential to serve as sensing, actuation, and mechanical support elements for soft machines that possess biomimetic functionality. Conventional biohybrid constructs involve the use of synthetic structures made from hydrogels or elastomers as support elements because free-standing contractile tissues do not have a stable form. In this talk, I am going to explain how physical principles of connective tissue morphogenesis can be harnessed for the controlled self-assembly of tissues with complex equilibrium shapes. The discovery of these principles involves the use of advanced microscopy, robotic microsurgery, microtechnology, and computational modelling. Combined with efforts in the development of genetically engineered biological actuators, we can finally envision the conception of reconfigurable and self-healing robots that are autonomously assembled from living matter. 

Plant-Inspired Biohybrid Microrobots: Toward Biocompatible Systems for Drug Delivery and Environmental Sensing 

Plants offer a rich source of inspiration for microscale robotics due to their adaptive morphologies and versatile movement strategies in complex environments. In this talk, we present a new class of plant-inspired biohybrid micromachines designed for multifunctional operation in confined and unstructured scenarios. By integrating morphological and biomechanical traits from both terrestrial and aquatic plants, these microscale systems are capable of tasks such as targeted delivery, in situ monitoring, and environmental sensing. Fabrication techniques including microcomputed tomography, two-photon lithography, and bioprinting allow the development of scalable, biocompatible, and sustainable designs. Preliminary testing in real-world environments (i.e., ranging from plant tissues to aquatic substrates) demonstrates the potential of these devices in applications such as soft climbing robotics, precision agriculture, and underwater sensing. These plant-inspired microrobots bridge natural design principles with synthetic functionality, offering novel strategies not only for environmental monitoring and conservation but also for future biomedical applications, such as localized diagnostics or therapeutic delivery in minimally invasive contexts. 

Towards Dexterous Micromanipulation: From Single to Multi-DoF Optothermal Microrobots 

Microrobots are opening new possibilities for working at the microscopic scale, especially in areas like cell handling, targeted drug delivery, and minimally invasive procedures. In this talk, I will introduce a new class of light-powered microrobots that can perform complex functions such as gripping and pushing. By designing and combining different miniature actuators that respond to focused laser light, we have developed robotic tools with single and multiple degrees of freedom, small enough to fit on the tip of an optical fiber. These tools are remotely controlled using dynamic light patterns, enabling operation in both air and liquid environments. I will share demonstrations of these microrobots manipulating tiny beads and living cells and discuss how this technology could contribute to future biomedical applications. 

CELLOIDS: Towards cell-inspired autonomous microrobots for future medical solutions 

Microrobots hold transformative potential for medical solutions, enabling precise navigation and intervention within the human body. Inspired by white blood cells, we are developing ultra-deformable, untethered microrobots—termed celloids—designed to autonomously navigate soft tissues like environment by responding to local cues. These biohybrid microrobots feature a Giant Unilamellar Vesicle (GUV), filled with self-propelled Janus microparticles to drive amoeba-like deformation and collective dynamics. Alternatively, we are employing magnetic microrobots for controlled motion in tissue mimicking environments. Combining advanced microfabrication, novel microparticle design, image analysis, and simulations, our work provides a robophysical model for biomimetic cells, with potential applications as a drug administration agent.