Imagine analyzing a tiny cell that is as small as one tenth of the diameter of human hair. The purpose of analyzing such small cell is because of the capability it carries when understood in depth. By analyzing a cell, we could understand the entire biological process and even principle of life since cell is the smallest structural and functional unit of an organism [1], or in easier words, the basic building block of all living organisms. Here are few applications of cell analysis widely used today.
Types of applications of cell analysis
Various types of applications of cell analysis are available today for different purposes. Some widely used applications are as follows:
- Cell growth / proliferation
- Wound healing / scratch assay
- Transfection efficiency
- Spheroid / organoid analysis
Applications listed are few well known assays when analyzing cells. These assays are used to study cell’s characteristics and behaviors in different perspective and for different purposes.
1. Cell growth and proliferation
This assay is useful when observing the confluence. Cell confluence shows the percentage of area covered by adherent mammalian cells which is important in determining the phase of cell growth [2].
Obtaining cell confluence is significant in areas studying the condition and the growth of cells such as cancer research, pharmacology (e.g. drug toxicity) and stem cell research (e.g. regeneration).
2. Wound healing / scratch assay
The wound healing or scratch assay is an assay that is used to observe cell movement such as migration and wound healing in cell monolayer [3]. This assay comes in handy especially in pharmacology and cosmetology in which to observe the effect of product in wound closure or skin repairing.
3. Transfection efficiency
Transfection efficiency is an efficient assay enabling us to analyze gene expression such as DNA, RNA, or proteins to study the function of genes and gene products in cells. This is a great tool not only for study of gene function and regulation but also for finding the location of specific gene expressed in determining its function in depth [4].
4. Spheroid / organoid analysis
The structure of spheroid and organoid is three- dimensional so when using these as sample, different technique is required compared to other monolayered samples. These 3D samples are similar to the original tumor tissue which gives several advantages over monolayered samples in consideration of similarity in physicochemical environment to the in vivo for more accurate analysis [5].
References:
Objective lens | 4x, 10x, 20x |
Channel type | Brightfield, GFP, RFP, DAPI |
Vessel type | well plate, flask, dish, slide |
Incubator installation | Available |
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