Microscale self-propelled robots show great promise in the biomedical field and are the focus of many researchers. These tiny devices, which move and navigate by themselves, are typically based on inorganic microstructures that are not biodegradable and potentially toxic, often using toxic fuels or elaborate external energy sources, which limits their real-world applications. One potential solution to these issues is to go back to nature. Here, the authors use high-speed Aqua Sperm micromotors obtained from North African catfish (Clarias gariepinus, B. 1822) to destroy bacterial biofilm. These Aqua Sperm micromotors use water-induced dynein ATPase catalyzed adenosine triphosphate (ATP) degradation as biocompatible fuel to trigger their fast speed and snake-like undulatory locomotion that facilitate biofilm destruction in less than one minute. This efficient biofilm destruction is due to the ultra-fast velocity as well as the head size of Aqua Sperm micromotors being similar to bacteria, which facilitates their entry to and navigation within the biofilm matrix. In addition, the authors demonstrate the real-world application of Aqua Sperm micromotors by destroying biofilms that had colonized medical and laboratory tubing. The implemented system extends the biomedical application of Aqua Sperm micromotors to include hybrid robots for fertilization or cargo tasks.

Center for Advanced Functional Nanorobots Department of Inorganic Chemistry University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Technicka 5 166 28 Prague 6 Czech Republic

Center for Nanorobotics and Machine Intelligence Department of Food Technology Mendel University in Brno Zemedelska 1 Brno CZ 613 00 Czech Republic

Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology University of Chemistry and Technology Prague Technicka 5 166 28 Prague 6 Czech Republic

Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Yonsei University 50 Yonsei ro Seodaemun gu Seoul 03722 Korea

Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Mendel University in Brno Zemedelska 1 Brno CZ 613 00 Czech Republic

Department of Medical Research China Medical University Hospital China Medical University No 91 Hsueh Shih Road Taichung Taiwan

Department of Zoology Fisheries Hydrobiology and Apiculture Mendel University in Brno Zemedelska 1 Brno CZ 61300 Czech Republic

Future Energy and Innovation Laboratory Central European Institute of Technology Brno University of Technology Purkynova 656 123 Brno CZ 616 00 Czech Republic

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