Collagen is the most common protein in human and animal tissue and forms the essential structural element of the extracellular matrix. That makes collagen also in vitro an ideal substrate for cell culture.
The structure of the Collagen Cell Carrier, which is made of non-crosslinked, native collagen fibres, facilitates the attachment and cultivation of complex cells and accelerates tissue formation. The high mechanical strength permits the simple transfer of the cell-populated membrane in vivo.
For further analysis, the cell-covered collagen membrane can, for instance, be fixed directly, dyed or examined under the microscope.
Collagen Cell Carriers are suitable for a large number of cell types, e.g. embryonic and mesenchymal stem cells, chondrocytes, osteoblasts, cardiomyocytes, neuronal cells, neuroglia cells, endothelial cells, keratinocytes, hepatocytes and muscle cells.
Its biocompatibility makes the Collagen Cell Carrier ideal for transplantation experiments in fundamental research into regenerative medicine.
Diverse applications in cell culture
Because of its low material thickness (< 20 µm) and minimal autofluorescence, the Collagen Cell Carrier is very suitable for fluorescence microscopy. This technique allows the cells on the translucent carrier to be examined from both sides.The excellent mechanical stability of the collagen matrix permits ease of handling, e.g. when transferring intact cell-matrix structures for further biological and chemical analyses. The cell-populated carrier can be treated directly with standard fixing solutions such as formaldehyde, methanol and acetone. It is also suitable for producing histological cryostat, paraffin and ultrathin sections.
For cryopreservation, the cell-covered Collagen Cell Carrier is transferred directly into the freezing medium. After thawing, the cells can recover more quickly and pass into the proliferation phase.
Standard size or made-to-measure?
The size of the cell carrier is optimally tailored for use in standard 6-well and 24-well plates. For individual application in other culture vessels, we offer membranes of 50 x 50 mm that can be easily cut to the most suitable size.In vitro applications
- Matrix for monolayer cultures, tissue engineering and for use as implants
- Immunohistochemistry and fluorescence microscopy
- Cryopreservation
Benefits
- Ultra thin < 20 µm
- Standardised thanks to industrial manufacture
- High mechanical stability
- Excellent biocompatibility
- Biologically degradable
- High viral safety
- Minimal autofluorescence