Multicellular sensor arrays fabricated by capillary stamping for pattern-based odor discrimination

Chemical sensing in complex environments relies on distributed receptor responses rather than one-to-one molecular specificity, motivating the development of multivariate sensing platforms integrating heterogeneous receptor populations. Here, we present a capillary-based multi-stamping device enabling reproducible fabrication of dense, spatially indexed living cell arrays through a single loading and stamping operation. Using insect cells stably expressing distinct odorant receptors and a genetically encoded calcium indicator, we constructed 9 × 9 arrays comprising nine receptor populations and measured them simultaneously within a single microscopic field. The platform ensured consistent stimulation and imaging conditions, producing reproducible response patterns across fabrication cycles and experimental days. Stimulation with complex floral odorant mixtures generated structured multivariate response patterns, with linear discriminant analysis revealing statistically significant class separation. These results establish a scalable and reproducible biohybrid sensing architecture for multivariate analysis of living receptor ensembles, providing a foundation for integrated biological sensing and data-driven odorant discrimination.