Microwell Substrate
Microwell Substrate - Related Videos
02:25
Photodegradable Hydrogel-Based Isolation of Bacterial Colonies in Microwell Arrays
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2025
Source: Fattahi, N., et al. Photodegradable Hydrogel Interfaces for Bacteria Screening, Selection, and Isolation. J. Vis. Exp. (2021)This video demonstrates the use of photodegradable hydrogels to isolate bacterial colonies within silicon microwell arrays. Bacterial cells are first loaded into microwells, encapsulated in a crosslinked hydrogel, and cultured into distinct colonies. Upon exposure to ultraviolet light, targeted degradation of the hydrogel enables selective extraction of individual...
10:44
Production of Large Numbers of Size-controlled Tumor Spheroids Using Microwell Plates
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Cited by 36 •
2013
We introduce a protocol for the generation of large numbers (thousands to hundreds of thousands) of uniform size- and composition-controlled tumor spheroids, using commercially available microwell plates.
06:28
Aggregate Size Optimization in Microwells for Suspension-based Cardiac Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells
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Cited by 11 •
2016
Conventional methods to initiate suspension aggregate based cardiac differentiation of human pluripotent stems cells (hPSCs) are plagued with culture heterogeneity with respect to aggregate size and shape. Here, we describe a robust method for cardiac differentiation employing microwells to generate size-controlled hPSC aggregates cultured under cardiac-promoting conditions.
11:13
Identification of Kinase-substrate Pairs Using High Throughput Screening
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Cited by 1 •
2015
Protein phosphorylation is a central feature of how cells interpret and respond to information in their extracellular milieu. Here, we present a high throughput screening protocol using kinases purified from mammalian cells to rapidly identify kinases that phosphorylate a substrate(s) of interest.
09:24
Assembly and Tracking of Microbial Community Development within a Microwell Array Platform
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Cited by 12 •
2017
The development of microbial communities depends on a combination of factors, including environmental architecture, member abundance, traits, and interactions. This protocol describes a synthetic, microfabricated environment for the simultaneous tracking of thousands of communities contained in femtoliter wells, where key factors such as niche size and confinement can be approximated.
FAQs
Well geometry determines the physical space available for cells to gather and interact. Differences in well dimensions can alter cell–cell contact, the degree of spreading, and the organization of the resulting three-dimensional assembly. Researchers can therefore use geometry as a design variable when seeking consistent spheroid or tissue-model characteristics across an experiment.
Nonadhesive surfaces reduce the tendency of cells to spread across the substrate, keeping them concentrated within their assigned wells. This confinement favors cell–cell contact and supports aggregate formation rather than extensive surface attachment. The resulting organization is useful when the experimental objective requires cells to maintain a compact, three-dimensional arrangement.
Spacing separates neighboring cell populations and helps maintain defined locations, while surface properties influence whether cells remain confined or spread across the material. Together, these features affect assembly organization and experimental consistency. Adjusting them allows a substrate to support distinct culture layouts and control how readily adjacent structures interact or remain isolated.
Their standardized array places cells or aggregates in recurring spatial locations and provides more uniform physical conditions across the culture area. This organization reduces variability associated with uncontrolled positioning and spreading, making comparisons between samples more consistent. Such repeatability is particularly valuable in experiments that evaluate cell behavior or compare many conditions.
Selection should match the intended assembly and readout to the substrate’s well geometry, spacing, and surface properties. Researchers should also consider whether the design supports compact spheroids, broader tissue models, or organized cell populations. Aligning these physical features with the experimental goal helps produce structures that are suitable for downstream comparison and interpretation.
They provide a consistent physical framework for organizing cells into controlled three-dimensional assemblies, which can serve as simplified tissue models or support organoid development. Defined locations and repeatable culture conditions make it easier to compare resulting structures across experiments. In bioengineering, this supports studies of tissue organization and model formation.
Microwell substrates are relevant to regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug screening because they support reproducible cell culture and controlled assemblies. Their arrays can also enable high-throughput studies of cell behavior by organizing many localized structures in parallel. These features help researchers compare responses across samples while maintaining consistent spatial conditions.