Nunc™ Dishes with UpCell™ Surface

The UpCell Surface is composed of a covalently bound polymer that changes from being slightly hydrophobic to being very hydrophilic when the temperature is reduced to less than 32 degrees C. This results in the binding of water to the surface, swelling of the surface, and finally the release of the cells.

The temperature-responsive polymer is covalently bound to the polystyrene dish or plate and will not detach from the product under normal cell culture procedures and conditions. The products have successfully passed the USP biological reactivity class VI testing.

The “UpCell surface with grid” products have a 3 x 3 mm grid design over the entire culture surface. Cell attachment and growth is restricted to within these small squares, preventing cells from clumping, and enabling easier harvest of the cells as single cells or small cell clusters. Products with “UpCell surface with grid” are suitable for the preparation of cells for flow cytometry analysis but cannot be used for cell-sheet applications. We offer 60 mm and 100 mm dishes with “UpCell surface with grid” whereas the 35 mm dishes contain supportive membrane for harvesting of cell sheets.

You can use the UpCell Surface with many cell types, including fibroblasts, mesenchymal stem cells, myocytes, keratinocytes, macrophages, and different epithelium and tumor cells. If cells do not detach spontaneously from the UpCell surface by lowering of the temperature to below 32 degrees C, the cells can be detached by flushing the surface with medium or by tapping on the side of the dish or plate. Cells that produce a lot of extracellular matrix and attach very strongly to the UpCell surface may be difficult to detach by temperature reduction alone. For these cell types, the simultaneous use of diluted trypsin is recommended.

Coating of the UpCell surface with biomolecules, for example, collagen, fibronectin, poly-lysine and laminin, is possible and should be done if you experience difficulties in attaching your cells to the UpCell surface. The coating procedure should be performed at 37 degrees C.