{
  "abstract": "Oxygen (O2) transport is a major limitation in high-density cell culture, particularly as three-dimensional (3D) spheroids are increasingly used to better mimic in vivo tissue environments. Here, we developed a poly(4-methyl-1-pentene) (PMP)-based microwell platform, leveraging its lower molecular absorption and greater mechanical stability than the commonly used O2-permeable polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), while retaining high O2 permeability. We measured O2 permeability in 50-m-thick PMP membranes and found approximately 200-fold greater O2 permeability than the conventional 1-mm polystyrene culture-plate material. PMP membrane-based microwell plates with 350-m-diameter wells maintained spatial separation of pre-formed hepatocyte spheroids while supplying O2 from the plate bottom, synergistically enhancing spheroid oxygenation. Compared with non-O2-permeable plates, the platform reduced localized hypoxia and hypoxia-associated cell injury while improving spheroid viability and growth. Collectively, PMP-based O2-permeable microwell plates provide a promising, scalable, high-throughput platform for spheroid culture with multiple applications in tissue engineering, drug screening and beyond.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Transplant Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of California, San Francisco"
  ],
  "article_type": "New results",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 8,
  "authors": [
    {
      "name": "J. Takahashi"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. Kato"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. N. Zook"
    },
    {
      "name": "H. T. Ku"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Iiba"
    },
    {
      "name": "S. Mizuno"
    },
    {
      "name": "K. Esashika"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "H. Komatsu"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/84hc63fxsqgjk.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.64898/2026.10.05.756623",
  "fulltext_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.756623v1.full",
  "id": "84hc63fxsqgjk",
  "issns": [],
  "landing_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.756623v1",
  "language": null,
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
  "licence_source": "article",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "biorxiv",
      "bioengineering"
    ],
    [
      "openalex",
      "2204|3D Printing in Biomedical Research"
    ]
  ],
  "openalex": "W7220860988",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.756623v1.full.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-10-05",
  "publisher": null,
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/84hc63fxsqgjk.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-10-30T12:26:22Z",
      "native_id": "10.64898/2026.10.05.756623",
      "source": "biorxiv",
      "url": "https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.64898/2026.10.05.756623v2"
    }
  ],
  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "biology",
      "origin": "biorxiv:bioengineering",
      "subfield": "systems-synthetic"
    }
  ],
  "title": "Oxygen-permeable microwell plates for high-throughput spheroid culture",
  "title_text": "Oxygen-permeable microwell plates for high-throughput spheroid culture",
  "type": "preprint",
  "updated_at": "2026-10-30T12:27:56Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/84hc63fxsqgjk",
  "venue": "bioRxiv",
  "versions": []
}