Cell Culture Insert
Cell culture inserts are specialized tools designed to support co-culture systems and barrier studies in vitro. They consist of a semi-permeable membrane housed within a plastic frame that fits into standard multi-well plates. These inserts enable the cultivation of cells in a defined microenvironment, facilitating the study of cell interactions, transport mechanisms, and barrier integrity.
Content on Cell Culture Inserts
Structure and Design:
- Membrane Material: Typically made of polycarbonate, polyester, or PTFE, with varying pore sizes (0.1 µm to 8 µm) tailored for specific applications.
- Pore Density: High-density membranes allow enhanced diffusion of nutrients and small molecules.
- Formats: Available for 6-well, 12-well, and 24-well plate configurations.
Compatibility:
- Designed for compatibility with adherent and suspension cell types.
- Suitable for diverse assays such as permeability, migration, and co-culture studies.
Applications of Cell Culture Inserts
- Barrier Function Studies:
- Tight Junction Analysis: Measure the integrity of epithelial and endothelial barriers (e.g., blood-brain barrier, intestinal epithelium).
- Assess transport and diffusion of drugs or biomolecules.
- Co-Culture Systems:
- Facilitate interactions between different cell types (e.g., epithelial cells in the insert and fibroblasts in the well below).
- Used in organ-on-a-chip models for simulating tissue microenvironments.
- Cell Migration and Invasion Assays:
- Migration studies using inserts with porous membranes.
- Tumor invasion assays with extracellular matrix coatings.
Cell culture inserts are indispensable tools for creating controlled and physiologically relevant environments in vitro. Their ability to mimic tissue-like barriers and enable multi-cellular interactions makes them a cornerstone of advanced cellular studies.
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