Cell & tissue culture

Cell scaffold

Bellco's (Vineland, NJ) GenesisChip is a cell culture scaffolding made of inert, inorganic polymer from glass and ceramic that forms a three-dimensional structure to support and enhance cell proliferation. GenesisChip supports the culture of various anchorage-dependent primary cells and continuous cell lines and allows for cell culture at high densities, in excess of 1,000,000 cells/cm2 with certain cell lines, while maintaining cell-cell and cell-matrix interaction.

Tel: +1 609 691 1075

Fax: +1 609 691 3247

http://www.bellcoglass.com

RSN: 1132

Crystal plates

A range of dishes with either glass or quartz bases allow improved fluorescent examination of cultivated cells. The dishes, from Bibby Sterilin (Stone, UK), can be used for observing live or dead cells with a confocal laser microscope for sensitive fluorescence measurements at high magnification. The 35 mm dishes have either a 12 or 27 mm base and come in cases of 50.

Tel: +44 1785 812121

Fax: +44 1785 815066

RSN: 1133

Less growing pain

A range of flasks from Nalge Nunc (Roskilde, Denmark) is designed to make cell and tissue culture easier. Opening and closing of the EasY Flasks can be done with only a one-third turn of the cap, and a large aperture with angled neck allows easy access to the entire growth surface of the flasks with either a scraper or pipette. The flasks have either 25 or 75 cm2 of growth area.

Tel: +45 4635 9065

Fax: +45 4635 0105

RSN: 1134

Fishing for incubators

A range of incubators from LTE Scientific (Oldham, UK) offers practicality and user-friendliness at a range of budgets. The Kingfishers have a temperature range from 5 to 80°C, which is displayed and controlled electronically. The incubators also have stainless steel interiors and capacities from 72 to 229 L. Tamper-proof controls are incorporated to prevent accidental interference.

Tel: +44 1457 876221

Fax: +44 1457 870131

RSN: 1135

Culture club

StemCell Technologies (Vancouver, BC, Canada) has an entire line of products for the in vitro maintenance and hematopoietic differentiation of mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells, which is increasingly employed as an alternative to the generation of chimeric and knockout mice for gene function studies. ES-Cult products include sera, liquid and methylcellulose-based media, supplements, and accessories, all pretested for their utility in various stages of cell differentiation experiments.

Tel: +1 604 877 0713

Fax: +1 604 877 0704

RSN: 1136

Immunoassays

Assay plates

Biocoat Collagen I and Poly-d-Lysine 96-well plates, ideal for use in cell-based bioluminescence and chemiluminescence assays, are available from Becton Dickinson Labware (Bedford, MA). These plates keep cells firmly attached to the substrate, even during rigorous washing steps in the transfection process. The white opaque walls increase assay discrimination by reducing well-to-well cross-talk, and the plates can be used in a variety of luminometers.

Tel: +1 800 343 2035

RSN: 1137

Cytokine studies

BioErgonomics (St. Paul, MN) introduces QuantiCyte internal cytokine cellular assay kits for flow cytometry. QuantiCyte kits are optimized, ready-to-use, two-color antibody reagent systems that can be mixed and matched 45 ways to fit your research needs. They are ideal for studying T-lymphocyte activation biology, providing information regarding which T-lymphocyte subsets are producing different cytokines upon activation.

Tel: +1 800 350 6466

http://www.bioe.com

RSN: 1138