Rice University Bioengineers Unveil ‘ATLAS’ Platform: A 3D-Printed, Teflon-Coated Breakthrough for Studying Metastatic Cancer Clusters

Rice University's ATLAS platform uses 3D-printed superhydrophobic surfaces to study how cancer cell clusters and CAF "escorts" survive the bloodstream.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 27, 2026, 11:05 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Rice University.

Solving the "Bench-to-Bloodstream" Gap in Metastasis Research

Metastasis—the process by which cancer spreads from a primary tumor to distant organs—remains the most lethal aspect of the disease and the most difficult to replicate in a laboratory setting. Researchers have long struggled to create reliable models of the cell clusters that navigate the harsh environment of the human circulatory system. Traditional 2D cultures fail to simulate the three-dimensional stresses cells encounter while floating in blood. To address this, Rice University’s Michael King and his team developed ATLAS, a platform designed to mass-produce realistic 3D cancer clusters quickly and affordably.

The Science of Superhydrophobicity: The "Lotus Leaf" Effect

The core innovation of ATLAS lies in its surface chemistry. Inspired by the water-repelling properties of lotus leaves, the bioengineers created 3D-printed microwell arrays that are "superhydrophobic." By creating a surface that is rough at the nanoscale and coating it with a non-wetting substance like Teflon, the researchers ensured that droplets containing cancer cells "bead up" rather than spread out. This forced proximity encourages cells to adhere to one another spontaneously, forming 3D clusters that accurately mirror the biological structures involved in metastatic spread.

Scaling Production via 3D Printing

Unlike previous high-throughput methods that were labor-intensive and expensive, ATLAS leverages the scalability of 3D printing. Lead author Alexandria Carter notes that this is the first time such nanoscale "bumps" have been successfully achieved through additive manufacturing for this purpose. This makes the technology easily adoptable for other laboratories, allowing for a standardized way to study how cancer cell groups—both on their own and alongside noncancerous stromal cells—react to the physical pressures of the body.