Technical library

Hematopoietic Progenitor Cell Expansion Medium XF (C‑28021) supplemented with Cytokine Mix E (C‑39890) is stable for up to 2 weeks when stored at 2 - 8°C, and kept protected from light.
For optimal performance, please ensure proper storage conditions throughout this period.

Please follow the instructions below when handling PromoCell proliferating cells upon arrival.

Initial handling after delivery
1. Unpack the shipment immediately and place the T25 flask(s) into a 37°C incubator with the cap closed.
2. Allow the cells to recover for approximately 3 hours.
3. After incubation, check the cell confluency under the microscope.

Medium change
If the cell density is below 70% confluency, aspirate the medium under sterile conditions and add 5-10 ml of the appropriate Growth Medium.

Subculturing
Once the cells have reached more than 70% confluency, they should be subcultured according to the subcultivation protocol provided in the Instruction Manual of the respective cell type.
 

It usually takes 5 to 8 days to grow our Normal Human Chondrocytes (C-12710) to subconfluency. The number of doublings (PDs) they undergo can be calculated from the number of seeded cells and the cell yield at subconfluency. Generally, when HCH are plated with 10,000 cells/cm² they perform between 1.5 and 2 doublings per passage.

PromoCell Human White Preadipocytes (HWP) are isolated from defined adipose tissue depots, depending on the product variant:
 
Subcutaneous HWP (C-12735)
Isolated from subcutaneous fat of different anatomical localizations, such as the abdomen, breast, or upper arm.
 
Visceral HWP (C-12732)
Isolated from visceral fat, for example: fat surrounding the pericardium, or adipose tissue from the omentum or mediastinum.
 
The exact tissue localization for each cell lot is specified in the lot‑specific Certificate of Analysis (CoA). If you require HWP from a specific anatomical localization, please contact the PromoCell Scientific Support Team before placing your order, as availability depends on donor material.

The time required to detach primary cells by trypsinization varies and depends on multiple factors, including cell type, cell density, cell lot, trypsin concentration, efficiency of the washing step before adding trypsin, and trypsinization temperature.
Because of this variability, a single fixed trypsinization time would not be reliable or safe for all situations.
 
PromoCell recommendation
For most primary cell types, PromoCell recommends:

• Trypsinization at room temperature
• Continuous microscopic monitoring of cell detachment

This approach allows you to determine the optimal trypsinization time for your specific culture and to keep the contact time between cells and trypsin as short as possible, minimizing cell damage. In practice, most cells detach within approximately 2-8 minutes.
 
Cell‑type‑specific exceptions
For certain cell types:

• Trypsinization at 37°C, or
• the use of Accutase or another dedicated Detachment Solution

may be recommended. Please refer to the Instruction Manual of the respective cell type for detailed guidance.
 
 

1) For fluorescence detection (fluorometer): Black plates with clear bottoms; often clear plates will suffice 2) For luminescence detection (luminometer): White/opaque plates 3) For colorimetric detection (photometer): Clear plates

Both NHEK.f and NHEK.f pooled are Normal Human Epidermal Keratinocytes derived from juvenile foreskin, but they differ in their donor composition and preparation.

NHEK.f single donor (C-12001)

• Isolated from the foreskin of a single donor
• Donor age range: 1 -  ~10 years
• Cells reflect the biological characteristics of one individual donor
• After thawing, cells are at passage 2 (P2)

NHEK.f pooled (C-12005)

• Prepared from the foreskins of two or three individual donors
• Cells from each donor are expanded separately in individual tissue‑culture vessels, and pooled after secondary culture, prior to cryopreservation
• Pooling reduces donor‑to‑donor variability
• After thawing, cells are also at passage 2 (P2)

Summary

• NHEK.f: single‑donor cells → suitable for donor‑specific studies
• NHEK.f pooled: multi‑donor pool → suitable for more standardized and robust experiments

After isolation and purification of our primary human melanocytes, the cells are checked during quality control whether they show a typical morphology and whether they express the marker Mel-5. Mel-5 is a 75 kDa glycoprotein usually expressed by normal melanocytes. Our Melanocyte Growth Medium (C-24010) has been developed to promote melanocyte growth in vitro. It does not however, completely block the growth of other cells (such as: NHEK or NHDF).

Therefore, it is important to have a pure melanocyte culture from the very beginning.

In contrast, the Melanocyte Growth Medium M3 (C-24310) is much more selective and represses the growth of contaminating cells much better.

Yes. PromoCell Skeletal Muscle Cell Differentiation Medium (C‑23061) is completely defined.
The included SupplementMix (C‑39366) contains recombinant human insulin as its functional component.

The practice of heat inactivation was originally developed when only serum from adult animals was available. Adult serum contains high serum complement which may destroy cells under certain conditions.

Heating serum (30 min, 56°C) is intended to inactivate the complement.

Today, serum is often heat-inactivated without any evidence of beneficial effect. When using FCS (fetal calf serum), heat inactivation is not necessary for most cell lines or cell types.

PromoCell does not use heat-inactivated serum for the production of its growth media.