New Platform Illuminates Cancer Spread Dynamics

Rice University bioengineers develop a new system to study metastasis, the spread of cancer from a primary tumor to other parts of the body.

Mar. 27, 2026 at 6:42am

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Researchers at Rice University have developed a new platform called the Advanced Tumor Landscape Analysis System (ATLAS) that makes it easier to generate large quantities of cancer cell clusters to study the metastatic process. The platform uses 3D-printed microwell arrays with water-repelling surfaces to encourage cancer cells to stick together and form 3D clusters, mimicking the conditions cancer cells encounter as they travel through the bloodstream. Using ATLAS, the researchers gained new insights into how cancer clusters are more likely to survive when traveling in groups, especially when supported by cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs).

Why it matters

Metastasis, the spread of cancer from a primary tumor to other parts of the body, is a major challenge in cancer research and treatment. The new ATLAS platform provides a more realistic and practical way to study this dangerous aspect of cancer, which could lead to the development of new drugs and therapies targeting the mechanisms that enable cancer cells to survive and spread.

The details

The ATLAS platform builds on earlier work using superhydrophobic surfaces to encourage cancer cells to form 3D clusters. The platform uses 3D-printed microwell arrays treated to create a water-repelling effect, allowing cancer cells to stick together and form clusters that mimic the conditions they encounter in the body. Compared to earlier methods, ATLAS takes less time and costs less to produce. The researchers used ATLAS to create clusters of prostate cancer cells, including ones containing cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and found that cancer clusters are more likely to survive when traveling in groups, especially with the support of CAFs.

  • The new ATLAS platform was developed in March 2026 at Rice University.

The players

Michael King

The E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering at Rice University, a Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas Scholar, and special adviser to the provost on life science collaborations with the Texas Medical Center.

Alexandria Carter

A doctoral student in the King lab at Rice University and the first author on the study describing the ATLAS platform.

Bionostic

A startup company being established by Alexandria Carter to commercialize the ATLAS platform.

Kyle Judah

The executive director of Rice's Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (Lilie), which runs the Rice Innovation Fellows program that trained Carter.

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What they’re saying

“Metastasis is still poorly understood because adequate laboratory techniques to recreate this complex process are lacking.”

— Michael King, E.D. Butcher Professor of Bioengineering

“One of the most exciting elements of our paper is that it does not just report on a new experimental method for other researchers to use, but it also reports new fundamental biological results.”

— Alexandria Carter, Doctoral student

“A pre-requisite for bringing research beyond the bench is to be deeply passionate about the problem space, and Carter is the perfect example of an exceptionally driven and committed engineer willing this idea into reality.”

— Kyle Judah, Executive director, Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship

What’s next

Alexandria Carter is working on establishing a startup company called Bionostic to commercialize the ATLAS platform, with the goal of making it more widely available for cancer research.

The takeaway

The new ATLAS platform developed at Rice University provides a more realistic and practical way to study the complex process of cancer metastasis, which could lead to the development of new drugs and therapies targeting the mechanisms that enable cancer cells to survive and spread.