eBook: Optimizing Cell Culture Techniques - 19

* The special well design featuring the
SureXchange™ tapered ledge enables
an easy medium exchange and nearcomplete
removal in a single pipetting step,
preventing spheroid loss and increasing
yield during long-term spheroid growth
and analysis.
* The 1 mm diameter flat-bottom observation
window enables simple spheroid
observation, and a greater distance
between the observation windows of
adjacent wells reduces well-to-well imaging
crosstalk compared to standard 96 and 384
well plates.
* An accurate pipetting system, such as the
VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO 384, is crucial to
ensure seeding of the same number of
cells into all wells throughout the plate and
produce highly uniform spheroid models.
It also enables the addition of the correct
concentrations of test compounds and
guarantees an equal medium exchange
between different wells to ensure responses
with a high reproducibility.
* Several user-defined position settings are
available for delicate pipetting operations
such as medium exchange. The Z height
can be set to ensure that all subsequent
operations are performed at the same
height and the same amount of medium is
removed without inadvertently aspirating
the spheroid. The pipette tip can be precisely
positioned above the spheroid for a reliable
transfer without accidental damage.
* A very helpful feature of INTEGRA's VIAFLO
96 and VIAFLO 384 is the wide range of
adjustable pipetting speeds. This ensures
a safe medium exchange without the risk
of strong turbulences that could cause
spheroids to be damaged by shearing forces
or to float.
Overview: How to perform medium
exchange in Akura 96 and 384
Spheroid Microplates with VIAFLO
96 and VIAFLO 384
Experimental set-up
The VIAFLO 96 and VIAFLO 384 are used for medium
exchange in Akura 96 and 384 plates. The liquid
handling steps are optimized to ensure there is no
spheroid loss. The VIAFLO 96 is equipped with a 96
channel pipetting head (10-300 µl) and both spring
loaded and standard plate holders. 300 µl Sterile,
Filter GRIPTIPS are used. The spheroids are cultured
in Akura 96 plates with 70 µl of medium. The VIAFLO
384 is set up with a 384 channel pipetting head
(5-125 µl) and both spring loaded and standard
plate holders. 125 µl sterile, filter GRIPTIPS are used.
Spheroids are cultured in Akura 384 plates with 50
µl of medium. Customized VIALINK programs are
provided for every step of the protocol.
Step-by-step procedure
Overview of the process:
Program 1: Medium aspiration - Akura 96
Program 2: Medium dispensing - Akura 96
Program 3: Medium aspiration - Akura 384
Program 4: Medium dispensing - Akura 384
19
eBook: Optimizing Cell Culture Techniques

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