Inspired by the natural gas-phase tracheal O 2 delivery system of insects, we present herein the design of a biomimetic scaffold featuring internal continuous air channels endowed with 10,000-fold higher O 2 diffusivity than hydrogels. This constrains the maximum permitted distance between the encapsulated cells and host site to within a few hundred micrometers to ensure cellular function. In such systems, cellular oxygen (O 2) delivery is limited to slow passive diffusion from transplantation sites through the poorly O 2-soluble encapsulating matrix, usually a hydrogel. Inadequate oxygenation is a major challenge in cell encapsulation, a therapy which holds potential to treat many diseases including type I diabetes.
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