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Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Shrinky-Dink Hanging Drops: A Simple Way to Form and Culture Embryoid Bodies

Shrinky-Dink Hanging Drops: A Simple Way to Form and Culture Embryoid Bodies

Published on: March 5, 2008

Methods for embryoid body formation: the microwell approach.

Dawn P Spelke¹, Daniel Ortmann, Ali Khademhosseini

¹Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, USA.

Methods in Molecular Biology (Clifton, N.J.)

|November 3, 2010

Summary

Embryoid body formation is crucial for embryonic stem cell differentiation. New microwell methods offer precise control over embryoid body size and shape, improving directed differentiation outcomes.

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Area of Science:

Developmental Biology
Stem Cell Biology
Biotechnology

Background:

Embryoid bodies (EBs) mimic early embryonic development, enabling the derivation of diverse cell lineages from embryonic stem cells (ESCs).
Traditional EB formation methods include suspension culture and hanging drops, which offer limited control over EB homogeneity.
Precise control over EB size and shape is increasingly recognized as vital for directed differentiation protocols.

Purpose of the Study:

To review traditional and novel methods for embryoid body formation.
To highlight techniques enabling homogeneous embryoid body production.
To discuss the implications of controlled embryoid body formation for directed cell differentiation.

Main Methods:

Review of suspension culture techniques for EB formation.

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Last Updated: Jun 7, 2026

Shrinky-Dink Hanging Drops: A Simple Way to Form and Culture Embryoid Bodies

Shrinky-Dink Hanging Drops: A Simple Way to Form and Culture Embryoid Bodies

Published on: March 5, 2008

Generation and Downstream Analysis of Single-Cell and Single-Nuclei Transcriptomes in Brain Organoids

Generation and Downstream Analysis of Single-Cell and Single-Nuclei Transcriptomes in Brain Organoids

Published on: March 29, 2024

A Paired Bead and Magnet Array for Molding Microwells with Variable Concave Geometries

A Paired Bead and Magnet Array for Molding Microwells with Variable Concave Geometries

Published on: January 28, 2018

Analysis of hanging drop methods for EB generation.

Exploration of advanced microwell-based techniques for homogeneous EB production.

Main Results:

Traditional methods provide basic EB formation but lack precise size and shape control.
Novel microwell-based approaches allow for highly reproducible and homogeneous EB formation.
EB size has been correlated with the efficiency and type of subsequent cell differentiation.

Conclusions:

Microwell technology represents a significant advancement in generating uniform EBs for stem cell research.
Controlled EB formation is essential for optimizing directed differentiation protocols.
This chapter provides a comprehensive overview of EB formation methodologies for researchers.