Developing Microrobots to Deliver Cargo Spatially to Carcinomas

Project by

Govind Kaigala
Senior Fellow 2025–2026

Bradley Nelson
Associate Fellow

During his collaborative stay at the Collegium and at ETH Zurich, Govind Kaigala aims to explore in collaboration with Bradley Nelson how microrobotic expertise can be applied to the treatment of solid tumors, particularly those located near fluid-accessible environments.

This work builds on the expertise of Brad Nelson’s group at the Institute for Robotics and Intelligent Systems (IRIS) at ETH Zurich, which specializes in medical microrobotics. The Nelson group has developed intelligent robotic systems capable of precision cargo delivery within the body—either through systemic circulation,e.g., to cardiac tissue, or via topical routes, e.g., via the eye. One example is muscle-invasive bladder cancer, where therapeutic agents could potentially be delivered via the luminal compartment in reconstructed tumor models. This project will assess the capabilities of magnetic-based microrobots, with the long-term goal of developing techniques suitable for in vivo applications.