Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40073138›Full record

ArticleScience advances2025

Liquid-bodied antibiofilm robot with switchable viscoelastic response for biofilm eradication on complex surface topographies.

Bonan Sun, Junjia Guo, Bo Hao, Yanfei Cao, Tony K F Chan, Mengmeng Sun, Joseph J Y Sung, Li Zhang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Science advances, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Bonan SunDepartment of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0002-7852-2920
Junjia GuoDepartment of Biomedical Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0009-0000-5053-990X
Bo HaoDepartment of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Yanfei CaoDepartment of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0001-6835-6837
Tony K F ChanChow Yuk Ho Technology Center for Innovative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.
Mengmeng SunPhysical Intelligence Department, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, 70569 Stuttgart, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-5940-9458
Joseph J Y SungLee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.ORCID 0000-0003-3125-5199
Li ZhangDepartment of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China.ORCID 0000-0003-1152-8962

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Recalcitrant biofilm infections pose a great challenge to human health. Micro- and nanorobots have been used to eliminate biofilm infections in hard-to-reach regions inside the body. However, applying antibiofilm robots under physiological conditions is limited by the conflicting demands of accessibility and driving force. Here, we introduce a liquid-bodied antibiofilm robot constructed by a dynamically cross-linked magnetic hydrogel. Leveraging the viscoelastic response of the robot enables it to adapt to complex surface topographies such as medical meshes and stents. Upon actuation, the robot can mechanically destroy the biofilm matrix, chemically deactivate bacterial cells, and collect disrupted biofilm debris. The robot's antibiofilm performance is studied in vitro and demonstrated on a medical mesh and a biliary stent. Tracking and navigation under endoscopy and x-ray imaging in an ex vivo porcine bile duct are demonstrated. Last, in vivo antibiofilm treatment is conducted by indwelling infected stents into mice's abdominal cavity and clearing the biofilm infection using the proposed robot.

Indexed as

BiofilmsRoboticsAnimalsElasticityHumansHydrogelsMiceStentsSurface PropertiesSwineViscosityHydrogels

Identifiers

PMID40073138
PMCPMC11900878

What OpenQuestion holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.