Design and development of a microbiorobot prototype with controlled motion system with synthetic biology approach

The latest advancements in developing the microrobots have brought new approaches to the design of untethered and self-powered micro-size robots. As a different approach than mimicking or using the microbial structures, the microorganisms themselves were used for the movement of microrobots. However, the difficulty of independently controlling conventional microrobots using the microorganisms for microrobots is still going on as well as it is still a big problem to achieve the conventional microrobots that are self-powered and have independently remote-control. Hence, bacterial cell movement can be reorganized at the genetic level by designing synthetic gene circuits with synthetic biology and genome engineering approaches instead of using conventionally wild-type cells for the movement of microbiorobots and independently acting of the cells can be provided with controlled switch off of the motility. In this thesis study, a microbial system that was used as microbiorobot prototype was developed and the motility was activated completely independently and turned off by controlled switch off with synthetic gene circuits designed with synthetic biology approach by using the microorganisms activate the flagella naturally that are to be used as actuators which are self-generating without the need for any power source. Microbial motility systems controlled by quorum sensing-dependent and independent were created with integration of synthetic gene circuit with three modules, designed by combining microbial motility module, cell communication module and a genetic switch, to natural bacterial system. Another feature of synthetic gene circuit with three modules is the fact that it is a dual control system. The motility module of this synthetic gene circuit was inspired by AND logic gate in electronic systems, which means that the motility module will work only when other two modules are on. To our knowledge, dual control microbiorobot design that has shown a strong dynamic structure with this feature will be the first in the literature.