Anthrobot

Scientists have developed tiny groups of human cells that can move on their own—and in a lab experiment, these so-called “anthrobots” inspired sheets of human neurons to repair themselves when damaged. The researchers hope the collections of cells could one day be used to treat diseases or aid with healing in humans, according to a statement from Tufts University. […] The study comes on the heels of earlier work from one of its authors, who produced tiny robots by stitching together frog embryo cells. These bots, known as “xenobots,” could assemble themselves, move across surfaces and travel through liquid, according to Scientific American’s Philip Ball. […] Since they’re not made from human cells, xenobots can’t be used to treat humans, writes Nature News’ Matthew Hutson. But the anthrobots in the new study could, theoretically. Each anthrobot started with a single cell from an adult human lung. It then grew into a multicellular biobot after being cultured for two weeks.