# Episode 89: Medicinal microrobots - Simone Schuerle

- Show: [Robot Talk](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk)
- Published: 2024-06-14
- Length: 23m
- Episode: 89
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-06-14-episode-89-medicinal-microrobots-simone-schuerle
- Listen: https://ukrobotics.libsyn.com/episode-eighty-nine-simone-schuerle

## Summary

Simone Schuerle, Assistant Professor at ETH Zurich and co-founder of MagnebotiX, discusses the design and application of magnetic microrobots for drug delivery and diagnostics. She explains how bio-inspired designs and magnetic actuation allow these devices to navigate blood vessels and penetrate tissue, addressing the challenge of targeted drug delivery in cancer therapy. Schuerle also details diagnostic microbubbles that detect enzyme activity via ultrasound and describes MagnebotiX’s electromagnetic control systems for wireless micromanipulation in research and pre-clinical settings.

## Chapters

- [0:08](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-06-14-episode-89-medicinal-microrobots-simone-schuerle#t=8) Introduction and Fabrication Challenges
- [4:18](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-06-14-episode-89-medicinal-microrobots-simone-schuerle#t=258) Micro Robot Design and Actuation Principles
- [6:38](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-06-14-episode-89-medicinal-microrobots-simone-schuerle#t=398) Applications in Life Sciences and Disease Modeling
- [10:30](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-06-14-episode-89-medicinal-microrobots-simone-schuerle#t=630) Magnetic Drug Delivery and Tissue Penetration
- [15:42](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-06-14-episode-89-medicinal-microrobots-simone-schuerle#t=942) Ultrasound Diagnostics and Enzyme Detection
- [19:35](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/robot-talk/2024-06-14-episode-89-medicinal-microrobots-simone-schuerle#t=1175) MagnebotiX and Wireless Micromanipulation Systems

## Topics

- [Medical & health devices](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/medical-devices)
- [Materials & manufacturing processes](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/materials-and-processes)
- [Sensors & measurement in products](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/sensors)
- [Starting a product company](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/starting-a-company)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- ETH Zurich (company)
- MagnebotiX (company)
- hydrogels (material)
- magnetic nanoparticles (material)
- liposomes (material)
- PET scan (tool)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [75. Size Matters: Tiny Biomimicry Leads to Big Breakthroughs](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-06-21-75-size-matters-tiny-biomimicry-leads-to-big-breakthroughs) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [217. Meet the World's Smallest Walking Robots](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2025-04-08-217-meet-the-worlds-smallest-walking-robots) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [49. What Robots Can Learn from Starfish and Falcons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-12-21-49-what-robots-can-learn-from-starfish-and-falcons) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [68. Bird-inspired Bipedal Robots & Robotic Surgeons](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2022-05-03-68-bird-inspired-bipedal-robots-robotic-surgeons) (The Next Byte Podcast)
- [19. Injectable Microchips, 2D Transistors, AI For Spacecraft Diagnosis](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-next-byte-podcast/2021-05-25-19-injectable-microchips-2d-transistors-ai-for-spacecraft-diagnosis) (The Next Byte Podcast)

## Citing this page

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