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intengineering t1_j6ob4pf wrote

Reply to comment by AdministrationLimp71 in AskScience AMA Series: I'm Birgül Akolpoglu, a doctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems in Germany. I work on microalgae and bacteria-based microrobots that could one day be used to deliver drugs and battle cancer! AMA! by AskScienceModerator

Hi! Oh, I would love that, that could make life MUCH easier if bacteria could listen to the voice of reason! But no, we do it pretty scientifically!

In our work, the synthetic components were integrated onto Escherichia coli. We use a strain of E. coli that allows for one-step binding of such nanoparticles through a physical complex known as “biotin-streptavidin complex”. Basically, these bacteria have “biotin” protein that binds to the “streptavidin” protein that is on the surface of the nanomaterials we use here. We mix them together under certain conditions (temperature, shaking, and the type of liquid media are all very important), et voilà, your bacterial biohybrid microswimmers are ready.

Thanks for the Q.
All the best,
/birgül

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