Living actuators: Harnessing the power of microbes for active devices

Microbial actuators harness the remarkable capabilities of single-celled organisms such as bacteria, yeast, and fungi to autonomously sense and respond to their surroundings. Occupying the intersection of synthetic biology, mechanical design, and materials science, these systems leverage the intrinsic motility, metabolic activity, and sensitivity of living microbes to produce controlled mechanical outputs across multiple length scales. This review classifies microbial actuators based on their mechanism of actuation, and examines the advantages, limitations, and emerging innovations associated with each. To support cross-disciplinary discussion, we propose a unified framework to evaluate microbial actuator performance and compare against similar systems. Finally, we identify unmet challenges and outline opportunities for future development, drawing on insights from adjacent fields such as synthetic biology and shape-morphing soft materials. Together, these perspectives aim to promote the scalable design and implementation of living actuators as foundational components in next-generation responsive systems.

Duke Scholars

Author Stefan Zauscher Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materia ...