Hi, I will be receiving soft mass tumor samples from needle biopsies in order to study single cell mechanics. However, we are working with a very small sample (~1000 cells). I am not sure if it is best to culture these cells in 3D matrices or 2D. Does anyone have a protocol or suggestions for small sample cell culturing or preference in matrices?
Hi Santiago - I don't have much experience with biopsies (and that number of cells is very tricky).
However (personally) one problem with 3D matricies (whilst being more "physiological") is retrieval of the cells from the matrix after expansion.
Personally I would add the cells to 96 or 348 well plates where the wells have been pre-coated with a matrix similar to the tissue source (i.e. Matrigel for sub-dermal).
If you wished (and you had a spare sample) you could try some of the cells in a collagen matrix (which could also be on the same plate as the matrix coated 2D wells).
I you do go along with the plates, for so few cells, I would go with 348 plates to minimise the effects of "density dependency".
Sorry I can't be more help!
Gary
That should read "384 well plates" ("growth" area 0.056 cm2, low volume 0.03 cm2).
You can also get 1536 well plates (0.011 cm2 area).
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