Today’s advances in micro/nanotechnology are revolutionizing the traditional paradigm of biomedical research. Owing to the unique properties, micro/nanoparticles find an array of applications in molecular and cellular sensing, manipulation, and stimulation. It is of great interest to investigate innovative mechanisms for reliable and scalable manufacturing of nanodevices. It is also highly desirable to explore unique approaches that can manipulate, assemble, and even robotize nanodevices which move, sense and act based on their environment. These approaches promise new molecular and cellular applications. For instance, new sensing mechanisms could emerge for the detection of biomarkers with high sensitivity and fidelity. Chemical stimuli as well as mechanical forces could be actively delivered and used for targeted applications both on single cells as well as in biological environments. These advances are expected to enhance the specificity of biomedical procedures and at the same time improve our ability in biodiagnosis, which are broadly relevant to biomedical discovery, environmental monitoring, public safety, and defense purposes.

This symposium will focus on interdisciplinary topics related to innovative top-down fabrication of micro/nano biomedical nanodevices, new mechanisms for bottom-up manipulation, positioning, assembling, and robotization of inorganic and organic micro/nano-“bots”, such as nanoactuators and nanomotors, for bioapplications, as well as the synergistic top-down and bottom-up approaches/schemes for molecular/cellular sensing, stimulation, and study in biophysics.