76 MICROSCOPY
ENSURE SUCCESS via a systematic cell culture workflow
Jan Barghaan explains how modern technologies are bringing speed, accuracy and standardisation to cell culture
A
n effective cell culture process lays the
foundation for success
in many application areas throughout life science and the pharmaceutical industry, from cancer research to regenerative medicine. Cell biologists must consider many fundamental aspects at every stage of the workflow to ensure quality and reproducibility (Fig. 1.).
Although it often varies
how biologists manage each individual task, modern laboratories are introducing approaches that ensure standardisation and accurate documentation, alongside speed and efficiency.
l Standardising conditions enhances experimental success, ensuring that samples are comparable. When cells are cultured in variable conditions, this alters growth patterns and in turn is highly likely to alter the gene expression of many cellular functions
l Documenting results provides an accurate picture of cell behaviour over time, allowing traceability for future reference, audits, peer review queries or patent applications
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l Speed and efficiency maintains culture health by minimising the time cells remain outside optimum incubation conditions; while fast operation also frees up time for scientists to focus on other tasks
Tese aims are facilitated by a range of tools – from automated cell counters and software to specialised cell culture microscopes. In turn, the success of the cell culture process subsequently affects the reliability, reproducibility and ultimately the credibility of downstream experiments.
Observing cell cultures Success in cell cultivation arises from insightful observation and workflow efficiency. However, traditional light microscopy systems have limitations in terms of ease of use and ergonomics, leading to a time-consuming and uncomfortable workflow that can also compromise cell culture observation.
Technical tools evolve to overcome new challenges As microscopy has evolved over the years, systems specialised for cell culture observation and analysis
Fig. 1. An overview of the cell culture workflow. Once cells are plated, health and confluency are monitored under the microscope until they are dissociated and counted in-solution, for passaging, storage or experimental use
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