Xenobots: A revolution

in Biology and robotics

Huzaifa Khan
University of Pretoria
BSc. (Hons) Pharmacology
2020
 What is a Robot?
• A robot can be defined as a machine that is able to automatically
carry out actions either simple or complex and is typically
programmable.
• Traditionally understood to be made of metal and very mechanical in
nature, and sometimes resemble Humans.
 Xenobots
Xenobots are novel, living organisms that are robotic in nature, having
been created to be programmable.

They are extremely small in size, not being more than a Millimetre big.

Xenobots have potential for applications not only in healthcare but also
in environmental rehabilitation as well.
 Composition
• Xenobots are composed of stem cells to give it the shape, as well as
cardiac cells, to enable locomotion.
• This combination of specific cell types enables Xenobots to be shaped
as desired, while still maintaining the ability to move.
• The incredibly small size allows the travel of these new
microorganisms, within and around the human body.
Figure 1: Kriegman et al. ,2020.
 Origin of components
• The stem cells used for the Xenobots were pluripotent in nature and
derived from the African Clawed Frog, Xenopus Laevis, hence the
name.
• With respect to the locomotory cells, those used were Cardiac
Progenitor cells, from the Xenopus as well.
• These locomotory cells were layered onto the stem cells and the
shape manipulated, in order to create different kinds of the Xenobot.
 The intelligence behind building
Biobots
• Potential to decrease environmental impact.
• The use of biological material to build robots from scratch provides a
number of benefits like potentially decreasing risk of negative effects
within the body as well as providing a broader understanding of the
potential of using biology to improve on the systems we have today.
• Since these are biological organisms, they possess the ability to
completely degrade, once performing their task, leaving little to no
waste.
 How Xenobots were created
• The Deep Green Supercomputer was programmed to use an
evolutionary algorithm in order to produce potential designs for new
life-forms. This program ran on the basic laws that govern the
biophysics of stem and cardiac cells, and resulted in the computer
keeping and refining the designs that displayed successful simulation.
• Upon analysing the designs, the research team, together with a
microsurgeon, grew and then shaped the Xenobots into the desired
configurations.
 Manual manipulation of precursor
cells
• Stem cells from the frog were grown and incubated, then layered with
cardiac progenitor cells.
• Thereafter, with the help of a microsurgeon, the bots were shaped by
means of cutting and microelectrocautery, in order to match the
simulated design produced by the Supercomputer.
• The final, shaped Xenobots then displayed the ability to not only
move, but also work together, using internal energy stores, while also
being able to repair themselves in the event of damage and injury.
 Areas of strength
• Xenobots, of different configurations have shown different strengths,
each with a different potential application. Some of these are:
Object manipulation
Collective Behaviour
Object Transport
Potential Therapeutic Areas
• The removal of Debris e.g clean-up of radioactive waste/oceanic
debris.
• Scraping and clearing of intravascular plaques
• Drug vectoring system to transport drugs through the body.
• Potential reprogramming of tumour cells and regeneration of lost or
dysfunctional tissues.
 Reference List
• CNN-
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/01/13/us/living-robot-stem-cells-intl-h
nk-scli-scn/index.html

• Uni. Of Vermont-
https://www.uvm.edu/uvmnews/news/team-builds-first-living-robots
• A scalable pipeline for designing reconfigurable organisms- Sam
Kriegman et al. , 2020
Thank You!