Micro- and nanotechnology for living machines

The chapter Micro- and nanotechnology for living machines describes research on new biohybrid technologies, engineered at the micro- and nano-scales, that combine some of the benefits of mechanical and electronic systems with those of biological systems. The chapter begins by reviewing some of the challenges of building devices at very small physical scales and discusses how new fabrication methodologies could impact on different classes of industrial, daily life, and biomedical products. We next explain how progress is being achieved through advances in micro- and nanomechatronics, particularly in the field of nanorobotic manipulation. Finally, we summarize recent progress towards building biohybrid living machines that combine nanomaterials with biological cells and outline the design of a micro- and nanorobotic manipulation system for cell assembly called the nanolaboratory.