Transwell® Permeable Supports Selection and Use Guide Table of Contents Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Selecting the Right Transwell Membrane and Pore Size . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Selecting the Right Transwell System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Using Transwell Permeable Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Helpful Hints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 General Directions for Use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Ordering Information . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Polyester (PET) Transwell Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Collagen-Coated Transwell-COL Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Netwell™ Inserts and Accessories . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Polycarbonate Membrane Transwell Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Snapwell™ Inserts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 HTS Transwell-24 Well Permeable Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 6, 12, and 24 Well Cell Culture Plates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 HTS Transwell-96 Well Permeable Supports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11

Introduction Cell and tissue culture techniques are becoming increasingly important for basic and applied life science research. The development of new culture vessels and cell attachment substrates is currently being driven by the need to produce an environment that resembles the in vivo state as closely as possible to enable the growth of specialized cell types. Consequently, using permeable supports with microporous membranes have become a standard method for culturing these cells. These permeable supports have allowed significant improvements in culturing polarized cells since these permeable...

Selecting Pore Sizes Selecting the correct pore size for experiments using Transwell® permeable supports is also very important. Table 2 reviews common permeable support applications along with recommended pore sizes. The smallest pore size Transwell membranes (0.4 µm) are primarily used in drug transport studies and in studies requiring the formation of a fully differentiated monolayer of cells. 24.5 mm Transwell-COL insert being placed into a 6 well microplate. Cell invasion, chemotaxis and motility studies are usually done in Transwell membranes with 3.0 µm or larger pores. The ability of...

Table 2. Permeable Support Application Selection Chart Pore Sizes Transwell® polycarbonate Wetzel, S. WahI, E.Westbrook

Table 3. Nominal Pore Densities for Transwell® Polyester and Polycarbonate Membranes Nominal Pore Density* Pore Polycarbonate Membrane Polyester Membrane * Values are reported as nominal and may vary due to inherent variability of the manufacturing process. To ensure success, we recommend that researchers validate their methods independent from our reported values. Table 4. Transwell Permeable Support Growth Areas Transwell Insert Diameter* Multiple Well Plate or Dish Style Insert Membrane Growth Area* 96 well 24 well 12 well 6 well 100 mm dish * Values are reported as nominal and may vary due...

Transwell® insert Upper compartment Microporous membrane Lower compartment The porous bottom of the insert provides independent access to both sides of a cell monolayer giving researchers a versatile tool to study cell transport and other metabolic activities in vitro. Using Transwell® Permeable Supports Helpful Hints 1. Cell morphology and cell densities on permeable supports are influenced by filter pore size. 2. Larger pore sizes may permit some cell types to migrate through the pores on the permeable support. 3. Cells grown on permeable supports are often sensitive to initial seeding density...

Table 5. Recommended Transwell® Permeable Support Medium Volumes Transwell Insert Diameter* Insert membrane Growth Area* Multiple Well Plate or Dish Type Volume Added per Plate Well Volume Added to Inside of Transwell Insert 96 well 24 well 12 well 6 well 100 mm dish 4.26 mm 6.5 mm 12 mm 24 mm 75 mm Add the medium to the culture plate first, then add the medium and cells to the Transwell insert. The three side wall openings for pipette tip access can be seen in this 24 mm polycarbonate membrane Transwell insert. * Values are reported as nominal and may vary due to inherent variability of the...

Collagen-Coated TranswelP-COL Inserts Transwell-COL inserts have a transparent when wet, collagen-treated PTFE membrane that promotes cell attachment and spreading and allows cells to be visualized during culture. The Transwell-COL membrane has an equimolar mixture of types I and III collagen derived from bovine placentas. Unlike traditional coating techniques that result in occluding film layers, Coming's proprietary coating process results in a biologically stable collagen that covers every fibril of the filter matrix, thereby retaining the porosity of the membrane. Transwell- COL inserts are...

Polycarbonate Membrane Transwell® Inserts These Transwell inserts feature a thin, translucent polycarbonate membrane available in six pore sizes ranging from 0.4 um to 8.0 um. All are treated for optimal cell attachment. They are supplied sterile and come preloaded in multiple well plates or dishes. The polycarbonate membrane is compatible with most organic fixatives and stains. All plates come with lids. Membrane Growth Membrane Cat. Diameter* Surface Pore Size Inner Inserts/ No. (mm) Area* (cm2) (um) Packaging Case * Values are reported as nominal and may vary due to inherent variability of...