Tissue Culture Plates

Quick Answer: Tissue culture plates are sterile, lidded polystyrene plates divided into separate wells, commonly 6, 12, 24, 48 or 96, in which cells are grown side by side for experiments. They let one cell culture be split into many small, identical cultures that can each receive a different treatment.

Choosing a Well Format

Fewer, larger wells give more cells per well, which suits experiments that end in protein or RNA extraction, so 6-well and 12-well plates are typical there. Many small wells suit dose-response tests, viability assays and screening, where the 96-well format is standard and fits plate readers and multichannel pipettes. The product image shows a 12-well plate, but the well count of this listing should be confirmed.

Plates for adherent cells normally have a treated surface so cells attach evenly, and flat bottoms so cells can be viewed on an inverted microscope. Lids usually carry condensation rings that reduce evaporation and cross-contamination between wells, and letters and numbers identify every well.

When cells in the outer wells behave differently from those in the centre, evaporation at the plate edge is a frequent cause. Filling the outer wells with sterile water or medium and keeping the incubator humidified reduces this edge effect. For bulk expansion of cells before an experiment, a tissue culture flask is the more economical vessel.

Applications

• Testing several drug concentrations on the same cell line
• Transfecting cells with plasmids or siRNA in replicate wells
• Growing cells on coverslips placed in wells for immunofluorescence staining
• Clonal expansion of single cells after limiting dilution

Specifications

Care & Handling

• Open plates only inside a biosafety cabinet and keep the lid on between steps.
• Add liquid slowly down the well wall so attached cells are not dislodged.
• Carry plates flat and steadily so medium does not slop between wells.
• Discard after use as biohazardous waste; plates are single-use.

Why Choose LabEquip

Cell biology labs, pharmacology and toxicology research groups and biotechnology courses use multi-well plates for experiments that need replicates. LabEquip offers them in the Biology Lab Products range; send the well format you need through the contact page.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many wells should my plate have?

Choose by the number of conditions and the cells needed for each. Six and 12-well plates give more cells for extraction, 24 and 48-well plates suit staining and small experiments, and 96-well plates suit viability and dose-response assays.

Are these plates treated for cell attachment?

Plates sold for tissue culture are normally surface-treated so adherent cells attach and spread. Untreated or low-attachment plates are used when cells should stay in suspension or form spheroids.

How can I reduce the edge effect in a plate?

Fill the outer wells with sterile water or medium instead of cells, keep the incubator humidified and avoid opening its door often. This reduces evaporation from the edge wells.

Can I view cells directly in the plate?

Yes. Flat-bottomed clear polystyrene plates are made for viewing on an inverted microscope, so cells can be checked without lifting the lid.

How much medium goes into each well?

It depends on the well size. As a rough guide, 6-well plates take a few millilitres per well and 96-well plates around 100 to 200 microlitres. Follow the protocol for your cells and plate.

Can the plates be sterilised and reused?

No. They come sterile for one use, heat would warp the polystyrene, and cells or reagents left in the wells could carry over into the next experiment.

Last Updated: September 2026