Cell Culture 101: From Catastrophe to Success

Cell culture is the beating heart of many research labs, generating model systems for basic cell biology and biochemistry as well as facilitating protein, virus, and vaccine production. In practice, the term cell culture is commonly used to refer to the culturing of cells derived from animals. However, in reality, it is the process by which prokaryotic, eukaryotic, and plant cells are grown under controlled conditions, often outside of their natural environments. With rising restrictions on animal testing and novel cell culture innovations, such as 3D culture techniques, cell culture will only continue to become more popular.

• The basic considerations and applications for cell culture
• Detecting and dealing with cell culture contaminants
• The advantages of automating cell culture
• Common cell culture issues and appropriate troubleshooting