Hi - just a point of clarification about cells "suspended in DMEM." The use
of the word suspended adds confusion to the equation. This simply means that
the cells are not "sticking" to the flask that they are being grown in,
either because they don't like to sit on a surface and grow (like
fibroblasts) or the flask may have been sitting on a rocker plate to keep
the cells gently moving so that they can't sit down and grow. Suspended does
not mean that there is some thickening agent in the media keeping them
"suspended" in "space." DMEM is a standard tissue culture media - basicly
water plus lots of "vitamins & minerals" to keep them fat and happy. It does
not have any "thickening" agents in it to keep cells floating. I have found
that it is best to make cytospins of a single cell suspension and use these
for all of my immunos etc. If, however, I have a large number of cells in a
flask (or multiple flasks which are combined) I have the researcher spin
down the cells in a 2 or 15 ml conical and make a pellet which is then
formalin fixed and ready for paraffin processing, adding eosin to the
formalin also helps visualize the cells. I hope this helps.

Karen Mundwiler
Novocell, Inc.
31 Technology Drive, St. 100
Irvine, CA 92618
949-727-1942 x265