Electrically Controlled Chlamydomonas reinhardtii Micromotors with Rotational and Translational Modes for Microcargo...

Micromotors efficiently convert external energy into propulsive power and have significant applications in drug screening and cell therapy. Therefore, we proposed Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (CR) micromotors actuated by electrorotation (EOT) and traveling-wave dielectrophoresis (twDEP) for microcargo capture, transport, and release. First, we numerically investigated the movement of CR micromotors with diverse shapes and sizes driven by EOT and twDEP. Second, we characterized the fixed-point rotation driven by EOT and track-oriented motion propelled by twDEP of CR micromotors, and explored their voltage and frequency dependence in the four-phase electric field. Third, we investigated the performance of CR micromotors in capturing and transporting diverse microcargoes in rotation mode under the EOT. Finally, by investigating their fixed-point braking and collaborative movement, we achieved track-oriented delivery and fixed-point release of microcargoes using the twDEP-actuated CR micromotors in translation mode. These micromotors enable versatile manipulation of microcargoes, providing an efficient and reliable method for drug screening and cell therapy, due to their high biocompatibility and motion controllability.