Why count cells?
Cells are used in a wide range of biological research. Researchers observe how cells respond to different treatments and study their growth in various conditions. But, why count them?
The previous post includes a brief description of how and why hemocytometers - the very first manual method of counting cells - were invented. As technology is expanding its usefulness to count not only blood cells but also a broad spectrum of primary cells and cell lines, so are the reasons for counting cells.
Here are a few reasons why cells are counted today.
Cell counting has a variety of applications in biology.
1. Monitoring cell growth and health
Cell culture
Cells are counted during culturing to ensure adequate growth and optimal time for subculture.
Cell viability
Cells should be counted at specific intervals to assess their growth or response to various conditions, such as medications, treatments, and environmental factors like temperature and pH level. Thus, it is critical to assess cell viability to obtain the number of live and dead cells.
2. The pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries
Quality control
In order to produce high-quality products, consistency in the cells used for testing must be maintained. Thus, it is important to regularly monitor the viability and concentration of cells.
Bioprocessing
Monitoring the number of cells is essential to ensure that bioprocesses are optimized. Cells cultivated in bioprocess are susceptible to viral infection, which could potentially disrupt the entire process; therefore, prevention and early response are critical. To minimize contamination, some sites must follow Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP), which include the cell counting procedure.
3. Cell proliferation
Counting cells helps researchers, such as those studying cancer, determine the rate at which cancer cells proliferate and the efficacy of cancer treatments. Examining cell proliferation in diseases also yields valuable information on the mechanism of cells.
4. Clinical/Therapeutic Practices
The quantity of blood cells in a patient indicates their state of health, making it crucial for diagnosing diseases including leukemia, anemia, and infections.
The quantity of stem cells is important for transplantation since a patient needs to receive the right amount for their treatment to have a satisfactory postoperative outcome.
Cell types | Cell lines, primary cells |
Measuring range | 5x10E4 - 2x10E7 4x10E5 - 1x10E7 (optimal) |
Loading volume | 15 μL |
Staining reagent | Acridine orange / DAPI |
Cell types | Cell lines, primary cells |
Measuring range | Detectable range: 1 x 10E4 ~ 2 x 10E7 cells/mL Optimal range: 1 x 10E5 ~ 1 x 10E7 cells/mL |
Loading volume | 20 μL |
Staining reagent | Acridine orange / DAPI |
ADAM MC2 & CellT
Cell types | Cell lines, primary cells |
Measuring range | 5 X 10E4 ~ 4 X 10E6 cells/mL(PI) 5 X 10E4 ~ 2 X 10E7 cells/mL (AO/PI) |
Loading volume | 13 μL |
Staining reagent | PI or AO |
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