Citation:
80 -, Park SJ, Gazzola M, Park KS, Park S, DiSanto V, Blevins EL, Lind JU, Campbell PH, Dauth S, Capulli AK, Pasqualini FS, Ahn S, Cho A, Yuan H, Maoz BM, Vijaykumar R, Choi JW, Deisseroth K, Lauder GV, Mahadevan L, and Parker KK. 2016. “
Phototactic guidance of a tissue-engineered soft-robotic ray.” Science, 353, 6295, Pp. 158-162.
Publisher's VersionAbstract:
Inspired by the relatively simple morphological blueprint provided by batoid fish such as stingrays and skates, we create a biohybrid system that enables an artificial animal, a tissue-engineered ray, to swim and phototactically follow a light cue. By patterning dissociated rat cardiac myocytes on an elastomeric body enclosing a microfabricated gold skeleton, we replicated fish morphology at one-tenth scale and captured basic fin deflection patterns of batoid fish. Optogenetics allows for phototactic guidance, steering and turning maneuvers. Optical stimulation induced sequential muscle activation via serpentine patterned muscle circuits leading to coordinated undulatory swimming. The speed and direction of the ray was controlled by modulating light frequency and by independently eliciting right and left fins, allowing the biohybrid machine to maneuver through an obstacle course. (125/125 max)
