Cell counting, viability, proliferation or cytotoxicity assays
Cell counting, viability, proliferation or cytotoxicity assays[edit]
A cell-counting assay may determine the number of living cells, the number of dead cells, or the ratio of one cell type to another, such as numerating and typing red versus different types of white blood cells. This is measured by different physical methods (light transmission, electric current change). But other methods use biochemical probing cell structure or physiology (stains). Another application is to monitor cell culture (assays of cell proliferation or cytotoxicity). A cytotoxicity assay measures how toxic a chemical compound is to cells.
- MTT assay
- Cell Counting Kit-8 (WST-8 based cell viability assay)
- SRB (Sulforhodamine B) assay
- CellTiter-Glo® Luminescent Cell Viability Assay
- Cell counting instruments and methods: CASY cell counting technology, Coulter counter, Electric cell-substrate impedance sensing
- Cell viability assays: resazurin method, ATP test, Ethidium homodimer assay (detect dead or dying cells), Bacteriological water analysis, Clonogenic assays, …
Environmental or Food Contaminants[edit]
Surfactants[edit]
- An MBAS assay indicates anionic surfactants in water with a bluing reaction.
Other cell assays[edit]
Many cell assays have been developed to assess specific parameters or response of cells (biomarkers, cell physiology). Techniques used to study_cells include :
- reporter assays using i.e. Luciferase, calcium signaling assays using Coelenterazine, CFSE or Calcein
- Immunostaining of cells on slides by Microscopy (ImmunoHistoChemistry or Fluorescence), on microplates by photometry including the ELISPOT (and its variant FluoroSpot) to enumerate B-Cells or antigen-specific cells, in solution by Flow cytometry
- Immunostaining of cells on slides by Microscopy, on microplates by photometry
- Molecular biology techniques such as DNA microarrays, in situ hybridization, combined to PCR, Computational genomics, and Transfection; Cell fractionation or Immunoprecipitation
- Migration assays, Chemotaxis assay
- Secretion assays
- Apoptosis assays such as the DNA laddering assay, the Nicoletti assay, caspase activity assays, and Annexin V staining
- Chemosensitivity assay measures the number of tumor cells that are killed by a cancer drug
- Tetramer assay detect the presence of antigen specific T-cells
- Gentamicin protection assay or survival assay or invasion assay to assess ability of pathogens (bacteria) to invade eukaryotic cells