The bacterium Escherichia coli, illustrated here, moves itself with propeller-like structures called flagella; it is one of the mobile microbes scientists have linked to cargo-carrying structures to form biohybrid microrobots. (Credit: supergalactic/Shutterstock)

In the universe of TV’s Doctor Who, the scariest adversaries of all are the hybrid robot-organic life-forms known as the Daleks.

Each Dalek is a living being encased in a robotic shell equipped with lethal weaponry, frequently em