Cell culture is a core aspect of life sciences research. It not only propels the advancement of the biomedical industry but also drives the development of various cell culture consumables. These cell culture consumables include a range of tools from culture containers to cryopreservation equipment, each playing a crucial role in the cell culture process. This article will introduce several commonly used cell culture consumables, helping you better select products that suit your experimental needs.
Cell culture containers are essential cell culture consumables in cell experiments. Common cell culture containers include cell culture dishes, cell culture flasks, and cell culture plates.
Cell Culture Dishes
Cell culture dishes are a type of open cell culture consumables suitable for primary cell extraction and culture. Their design facilitates the placement of tissue fragments but lacks contamination prevention features, so special attention is required to maintain aseptic conditions during operation. Cell culture dishes are widely used for adherent cell culture, and their open structure is convenient for handling large areas of cells.
Cell Culture Flasks
Cell culture flasks are an ideal choice for long-term cell culture and large-scale cell expansion in laboratories. They are equipped with sealed or breathable caps, effectively preventing contamination risks. Although the small opening of the flasks may cause inconvenience during operation, using elongated pipette tips or serological pipettes can resolve this issue. For the culture of suspension cells, triangular flasks are also a good choice; their broad space and narrowed neck reduce the chances of contamination.
Cell Culture Plates
Cell culture plates come in 6-well, 12-well, 24-well, 48-well, 96-well, and 384-well configurations, adhering to SBS international standard dimensions to fit most automated machines. Plates with different well counts are suitable for various experiment needs, such as transfection experiments, scratch assays, and immunofluorescence assays. The multi-well design helps experimenters handle multiple samples simultaneously, improving experiment efficiency.
Cell culture tools are important cell culture consumables that support the cell culture process, including cryopreservation products, serological pipettes, centrifuge tubes, and cell scrapers.
Cryopreservation Products
Cryovials and screw-cap tubes are commonly used cryopreservation cell culture consumables. Cryovials can withstand ultra-low temperatures and can stably preserve cells at -80°C or even at -196°C in liquid nitrogen. They are an ideal choice for long-term preservation of cells. Although screw-cap tubes have a similar shape, they can only withstand temperatures as low as -80°C, making them suitable for small amounts of reagents or short-term cell preservation.
Serological Pipettes
Serological pipettes play a critical role in cell culture; their high capacity and precise graduations make them the tool of choice for adding culture media. Compared to 1mL pipette tips, serological pipettes can reduce the risk of contamination during operation. It is best to use special diameter pipettors or electric pipettors with them to improve operational accuracy and efficiency.
Centrifuge Tubes and Cell Scrapers
Centrifuge tubes are important cell culture consumables for distributing serum, culture media, and buffers, as well as for collecting cells. Cell scrapers are used to handle cells that are difficult to detach from adherent states. Although cell scrapers might cause some cell damage, they can effectively solve problems in specific situations.
