Quantification of attached cells in tissue culture plates and on microcarriers

A method for quantification of anchorage-dependent cells in culture on plane surfaces or on microcarriers is proposed. It is based on Coomassie brilliant blue R-250 adsorption, followed by elution of the dye and measurement by spectrophotometry at 595 nm. A linear correlation (r = 0.988 to 0.996) was observed between absorbance and cell number along a large range of cell densities. This technique may be used for monitoring cell growth, from seeding of initial inoculi to scaling up of cultures in bioreactors.