Nano/micromotors for active and dynamic intracellular payload delivery

A method for intracellular delivery of a compound to a living cell, comprising:

• providing a plurality of nanomotors operable to propel in a medium comprising a cell, wherein each nanomotor of the plurality of nanomotors includes a functionalization layer on an outer surface of the nanomotor coupling a payload substance in a biologically active conformation to the nanomotor;
• and
• propelling the nanomotors in the medium to cause at least some of the nanomotors to penetrate into an intracellular region of the cell;
• wherein the payload substance within the intracellular region of the cell initiates an interaction of the biologically active payload substance with an intracellular constituent of the cell, and
• wherein the biologically active payload substance includes a protein configured to affect a cellular function of the cell.

A method for intracellular delivery of a compound to a living cell, comprising:

• providing a plurality of nanomotors operable to propel in a medium comprising a cell, wherein each nanomotor of the plurality of nanomotors includes a functionalization layer on an outer surface of the nanomotor coupling a payload substance in a biologically active conformation to the nanomotor;
• and
• propelling the nanomotors in the medium to cause at least some of the nanomotors to penetrate into an intracellular region of the cell;
• wherein the payload substance within the intracellular region of the cell initiates an interaction of the biologically active payload substance with an intracellular constituent of the cell, and
• wherein the biologically active payload substance includes a nucleotide sequence configured to affect a gene expression of a target gene of the cell having a complementary nucleotide sequence,
• wherein the biologically active payload substance includes a small interfering ribonucleic acid (siRNA), and the functionalization layer includes a rolling circle amplification (RCA) nucleic acid strand that binds the siRNA.