Hydrogel Microwell Array for Olfactory Cell Sensor in Ambient Environment

This paper reports a hydrogel microwell array device capable of long-term (over 144 hours) gas-phase culture of olfactory receptor expressing cells in an ambient environment while retaining odor responsiveness. By seeding cells onto a hydrogel that allows liquid permeability, the liquid level inside the wells lowers due to atmospheric pressure, while a thin film of medium is maintained by surface tension. This enables the maintenance of a liquid film thin enough to allow odor responsiveness while continuously supplying nutrients to the cells in an ambient environment. This device enables simultaneous cell culture and odor sensing in an ambient environment, making it applicable as an odorant sensor.