A team has developed tiny algae-based robots which are guided by magnets and boost delivery of chemotherapy drugs into tumours. Dr Qi Zhou (Institute for Neuroscience & Cardiovascular Research) collaborated with researchers at Xiamen University, China, to develop tiny algae-based robots which are guided by magnets and boost delivery of chemotherapy drugs into tumours. In this instance, the study focused on bladder cancer. With the potential to target other forms of cancer, however, this drug delivery system offers a non-invasive solution to overcome complex biological barriers, advancing the efficacy and safety of intracavitary chemotherapy.Qi was a recipient of funding of Edinburgh Neuroscience's most recent round of RS MacDonald Seedcorn funding. Read more about this story including links to the research paper, visit https://www.ed.ac.uk/news/algae-microbots-take-aim-at-bladder-cancer Dr Qi Zhou Listing image: 'Fig. 1: Proof of concept for targeted delivery, selective release and ultrafast penetration of chemotherapeutic drugs for intracavitary cancer therapy with drug-loaded magnetic C. granii microrobots' from Lin, L., Li, H., Zhou, Q. et al. Machine-intelligent multimodal algebot for intracavitary chemotherapy. Nat. Nanotechnol. (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41565-026-02195-0 Tags 2026 This article was published on Wednesday 1 July 2026
