The Corning Ultra-Low Attachment surface is a covalently bound hydrogel layer that is hydrophilic and neutrally charged. Since proteins and other biomolecules passively adsorb to polystyrene surfaces through either hydrophobic or ionic interactions, this hydrogel surface naturally inhibits nonspecific immobilization via these forces, thus inhibiting subsequent cell attachment. This surface is very stable, noncytotoxic, biologically inert and nondegradable.
The Ultra-Low Attachment surface is useful for:
• Growing primary cultures of tumor or normal cells as unattached spheroids
• Studying activation and inactivation mechanisms of lymphocytes, monocytes, macrophages and other phagocytic cells
• Research and procedures requiring the reduction of eukaryotic or microbial cell attachment
• Preventing anchorage-dependent cells, such as fibroblasts, from attaching and dividing
• Selectively culturing tumor or transformed cells as unattached colonies (or a substitute for soft agar assays)
• Culturing cells, tissue or organ fragments in a stationary suspended, unattached state
• Tissue engineering of easily harvested cell sheets and constructs using magnetic nanoparticles or liposomes
It is ideal for culturing stem cells:
• Promotes embryoid body formation
• Gives colonies with defined margins
• Cleaner morphology
• Makes colonies easier to harvest