These holes are called inlet opening system (IOS). Due to the special geometry of the drillings, fluid will stay in the inserts as long as the outer wall is not wetted (during coatings). Once both sides are wetted, medium exchange can be performed simultaneously in wells and inserts. Furthermore, desired insert medium levels for air-lift cultures are easily and precisely established.
Is the size of growth area different for inserts of 13 mm and 9 mm height?
No. The size of the growth area of all insert is 59 mm2.
Are inserts with IOS leaky when loaded with medium (cell suspenion) the first time?
Inserts with IOS can be loaded with (water based) medium < 400 µl without the risk of leakage.
What's the advantage of inserts with a height of 9 mm?
Organotypic cultures consists of multiple cell layers. Therefore, number of cells per cm2 is higher and nutrient consumption is increased when compared to a monolayer culture. This is critical especially in air lift cultures where basolateral medium levels are reduced.
Inserts with a height of 9 mm allow more medium to be applied into the well of a compagnion plate thereby improving the nutrient supply of cells.
Do the BRANDplates® Inserts need to be coated before use?
This depends on the experiment and the celltype studied. The cellGradeTM plus surface can be further coated e.g. with laminin or collagen to meet special cellular conditions.
Are membranes of BRANDplates® Inserts stable in presence of DMSO?
PC-membranes can show an increase of pore size in presence of DMSO (100%). PC-membranes released from inserts and treated with DMSO will curl. In case of extended contact to DMSO [100%], PC-membranes still fused to inserts, start to curl as well.
Are membranes of BRANDplates® Inserts cellGradeTM plus treated on both sides?
Yes. The insert membrane is treated on the apical as well as basolateral side.
What is the hight of the insert?
BRAND offers inserts of two different heights - 13 mm and 9 mm.
How big is the growth area of an insert?
The growth area of an insert has a size of 59 mm2.
