Cell behavior in vitro is typically examined in two dimensions; however, in the body, cells exist in a three-dimensional ECM environment rich in type I collagen. Cells in EMD Millipore’s 3D collagen cell culture system reflect more accurate in vivo physiology, because this system simulates the collagen-rich ECM of normal tissue. This system is a simple, rapid method to analyze cell angiogenesis, migration, apoptosis, proliferation and tissue formation. Easily visualize cells in the 3D system with phase contrast or fluorescence microscopy. Cells can be directly fixed and stained within the matrix for visualization of intra- and extracellular proteins. Importantly, cells suspended in our 3D system can also be treated with modulating reagents, enabling screening of biological responses to growth factors and chemical agents. Sterile, viable cells may be removed from the system for further experimentation, including flow cytometric or biochemical analysis.

Examine the adhesion, migration, and invasion of many diverse cell types on various ECM proteins with the ECM Cell Adhesion Array Kits. The kits provide an ECM array microtiter plate with a homogenous detection format, allowing for large-scale screening and quantitative comparison of multiple samples or cell lines. The kit is designed as a rapid (1-2 hours), cost effective, efficient method for characterization of cell adhesion.