Natural algae-inspired microrobots for emerging biomedical applications and beyond

Algae-inspired microrobots (AIMs) have attracted intense research over the past decade owing to the abundant desired properties of natural microalgae, such as biocompatibility, autofluorescence, and pharmaceutical activity, which make them ideal candidates for biomedical and related applications. With the deepening and widening of applied research, the functions of AIMs have been greatly enriched and enhanced to meet the needs of demanding application scenarios including targeted drug delivery, anticancer/antibacterial therapy, cell stimulation, wound healing, and biomolecule sensing. Notwithstanding, multiple challenges remain to be tackled for transformative advances and clinical translation. In this review, we aim to provide a comprehensive survey of representative advances in AIMs accompanied by the underlying biological/technological backgrounds. We also highlight existing issues that need to be overcome in AIM developments and suggest future research directions in this field.