Micro-/nanorobots for combating biofilm infections

Bacterial biofilms that readily colonize on the surface of medical devices and organs seriously threaten the human health, bringing great challenge to current therapeutic strategies. The bacterial biofilm with mechanical strength can protect the bacterial cells inside and lead the poor penetration of antimicrobials. Micro/nanorobots (MNRs) with considerable potential in biomedical applications have been recently recognized as an advancing method for bacterial biofilm elimination in the narrow and inaccessible space due to their tiny size, controllable movement capability, and high loading capacity. To promote the development of MNRs in treating biofilm infection and attract more specialists to work for that, we recognize that it is time to conclude recent process. In this chapter, we systematically describe some frontier researches in treating biofilm infection, including the selection of actuation methods, the strategy for biofilm eradication, and related biomedical applications. Moreover, we propose key challenges of developing antibacterial MNRs to be undertaken, anticipating more heart-stirring researches to achieve real clinical applications in the future.