Bio-Inspired Magnetobots for Targeted Breast Cancer Treatment

There is an urgent need to develop new treatments for cancer, particularly for patients whose disease returns or spreads despite current therapies. Microbes have long been used in food production and medicine, and advances in bioengineering now allow us to harness their unique properties for innovative cancer treatments. This project focuses on magnetotactic bacteria (MTB), naturally occurring microorganisms found in aquatic sediments. These bacteria contain magnetic crystals and they can be used to guide drug delivery to primary breast tumours using external magnetic fields. The student will contribute to engineering magnetotactic bacteria (“MagneToBots”) capable of delivering cancer-killing agents whilst simultaneously activating the immune system to generate long-lasting anti-tumour protection. This will involve culturing a model MTB strain (MSR-1) and assessing growth parameters, investigate bacterial uptake by a panel of human breast cancer cell lines, evaluate the impact of MTB on cancer cell viability, and track the fate of bacteria within cancer cells using fluorescent microscopy and flow cytometry. This interdisciplinary project offers hands-on training in microbiology, cancer biology, and bio-inspired drug delivery, providing students with valuable skills at the forefront of sustainable cancer therapeutics. Students will need to find their own accommodation and be expected to present their findings orally at a research day in York on 08th September 2026.