Fig. 5: Manipulation of an ISME with encapsulated MNPs under different magnetic fields.

a Octupole magnetic system used in the experiment. b Schematic illustration of the magnetic actuation of an ISME under a rotating field and a gradient field, wherein V represents the translational velocity, H denotes the strength of the magnetic field, m indicates the direction of magnetization of the ISME, f represents the force of friction, ω indicates the rotation velocity of the microsphere, and θ denotes the tilt angle between the direction of the magnetic field and the direction of magnetization of the ISME. c Velocity–frequency profiles for ISMEs with different MNP concentrations (1%, 3%, and 5%) under a rotating magnetic field. Each dot represents the average velocity for five different ISMEs with hexagram shapes ±s.e.m. (standard error of the mean). d (a) Images of the ISME with encapsulated MNPs during folding transformation in response to a pH change. Scale bar: 500 μm. (b) Time series of the rotating-field-controlled locomotion of an ISME with time instants marked and motion trajectories delineated. Scale bar: 4 mm. e Velocity–frequency profiles of ISMEs with different MNP concentrations (1%, 3%, and 5%) under a gradient magnetic field. Each dot represents the average velocity for five different ISMEs with hexagram shapes ±s.e.m. (standard error of the mean). f Images of MNP-loaded ISMEs performing the capture, transportation, and release of cell aggregates, separation following release, and eventually dissolution in response to a pH change. Scale bar: 250 μm. Source data is provided as a Source Data file.