Programmable On-Chip Manipulation and Separation of Biological Cells Using a Rotating AC-FFET Platform

Precise, contactless manipulation of micro- and nanoscale biological entities is pivotal for biomedical research, diagnostics, and therapeutic applications. However, most existing approaches suffer from limited programmability, low selectivity, or require physical contact and labeling, which restrict their applicability in complex biomedical environments. Here, we present a bipolar electrode-associated micromotor propulsion (BAMP) platform based on a rotating alternating current-flow field effect transistor (ROT-FFET), enabling the programmable control of cell enrichment, trajectory steering, and separation via electric field modulation. In a specific range of frequencies and voltages, particles or cells behave as active, interacting micromotors, mimicking the dynamics of living systems. By dynamically reconfiguring induced-charge electroosmotic (ICEO) flow and dielectrophoretic (DEP) forces, this system achieves real-time manipulation of synthetic particles and live cells (e.g., yeast, 293T, and red blood cells) with velocities up to 3.5 μm s-1. Notably, contactless and label-free sorting of cells is finally demonstrated by exploiting their dielectric properties. In the future, the precise controllability of this approach can be combined with directed motion to develop modular building blocks for bottom-up fabrication with broad applicability in additive manufacturing, hybrid microrobotics, and biomedical microdevices.