Cell Culture

The success (or failure) of your experiment starts at the cellular level. From choosing the best cell line, using the right culture conditions and practicing proper handling techniques, following the best practices for cell culture is essential to getting the results you need.

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Cell Culture Basics

Cells require proper handling to avoid the risk of contamination or misidentification. Take the time to understand the details of caring for your cells and reduce uncertainty with your downstream experiments.

A purple solution is pipetted out of a cell culture flask

BLOG

Reduce Cell Culture Variability

Variability leads to irreproducible results. Set yourself up for success by following these cell culture tips.
A purple liquid is pipetted into a microfuge tube

BLOG

Stop Contamination Before It Starts

Imagine discovering your cells aren't what you thought they were. Take care to avoid contamination or misidentification of your cells.
Small amounts of purple liquid are pipetted into wells of a plate

VIDEO

Handle Your Cells With Care

Observe the proper techniques for cell culture prep and transferring from flask to plate.

Monolayer Cell Culture

The cell culture model is widely used to observe and measure biological processes. If you want to design a cell-based assay, first you need to understand the basics of cell biology.

Rows of wells on a plate are filled with a pink liquid by a multichannel pipette

BLOG

Choosing Your Cells

Different cells have different behaviors that may influence your assay results. Here are some factors to consider as you plan your experiments.
A purple liquid is pipetted into wells in one row of a plate

BLOG

Optimizing Your Cell Culture Conditions

Consistent, careful handling of cells is crucial for reliable, repeatable results. Learn how to set yourself up for success in this blog post.
A clock acts as a timer as the liquid in one row of wells in a plate turns from purple to glowing blue

BLOG

Setting Your Treatment Parameters

Drug dose response curves and time courses paired with multiplexing assays will help you find the "sweet spot" of your experimental system.

3D Cell Culture

Instead of growing cells flat on a plate, how about growing a multicellular 3D spheroid? These microtissues offer a more physiologically accurate environment to benefit your cell health assays.

1. A pipette drops a liquid into a well on a 3D culture plate and cells appear

WEBINAR

3D Cell Culture 101

What exactly is a spheroid? How do you culture cells in 3D? Find the answers in this webinar.
A pipette drops a blue liquid into a well with a mass of cells on a 3D culture plate

ARTICLE

The Promises and Challenges of 3D Models

Discover why 3D culture is a step forward toward a more physiologically relevant model system.
A spheroid of cells forms within a well on a 3D culture plate

BLOG

Optimizing Assays for 3D Culture

Most assays are designed for 2D cell culture, so adapting them for a 3D system can be tricky. Explore alternate approaches to bring your 3D experiments to life.

Other Student Resources

Lab Essentials

Nucleic Acid Purification & Quantitation

Nucleic Acid Quantitation

Cloning

Techniques and Tools

Intermediate Techniques

Reporter Assays

Affinity Tagged Protein Purification

Cell-Free Protein Expression

Advanced Methods

Cell Culture

Cell Health

Protein Detection

Human Identification and Forensics

Beyond the Lab

Professional Skills and Development

Finding Balance

HelloPhD Podcast

My Green Lab

iGEM

Other Student Resources

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