The Blob

“Indescribable! Indestructible! ...Nothing can stop it!” – in the 1950s horror movie, The Blob is an alien life form than engulfs everything it squirms over. This fluid robot may be around 1000 times smaller but has a similar aim – relentless destruction. Steered by a changing magnetic field, the robot rambles over this medical mesh (pink) surrounding a piece of a pig’s small intestine (white), mopping up any traces of harmful bacterial biofilms with a combination of chemical and mechanical demolition. Just like the fictional blob from outer space, the robot can change shape, adapting to different environments. Researchers can use the new device to clear infections from stents inside living mice, potentially paving the way, perhaps, for further helpful invasions inside human tissues.

Written by John Ankers

John Ankers

Writer

A former researcher in systems biology, John is now an online biology tutor and professional coach supporting the wellbeing of scientists and NHS professionals. He's writing, too, of course.

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• Video from work by Bonan Sun and colleagues
• Department of Mechanical and Automation Engineering, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
• Video originally published with a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)
• Published in Science Advances, March 2025