Skip to Content

Blog

Page 4

What Is Dead Cell Contamination?

Updated on Aug 22, 2023

Bacterial colonies culture growth on selective media.

Dead cells naturally contaminate cell samples or cultures throughout their lifespan; this contamination can occur at any time. While common, dead cells and debris negatively affect cell populations before and after separation, isolation, and application. Removing dead cells and debris before further processing plays a critical role in culture maintenance and adherence to good laboratory practices. Cell Culturing and Dead Cells Researchers grow cell cultures in the laboratory that can …

An Overview of Customized Leukopaks

Updated on Dec 9, 2024 By Brandon H. McNaughton, PhD

Red blood bag in hand scientist over white background in laboratory.

What Is a Customized Leukopak? A leukopak is a blood product enriched with white blood cells obtained through a unique extraction technique, leukapheresis. Leukapheresis, a specialized application of apheresis, targets the collection of leukocytes and returns all non-leukocyte material to the donor’s bloodstream.  Leukopaks can be customized to fit the requirements of their intended application, both clinically and for research and development. Before leukopak collection, donors are strategically selected for …

Dead Cell Removal After Cell Separation

Updated on Aug 7, 2024

Portrait of confident female scientist

Sample processing techniques like cell separation can potentially damage cells of interest and even decrease cell viability. Removing these dead cells before further clinical or research testing is important to reducing confounding downstream testing and results.  In the case of leukopak processing, dead cell removal remains an integral step in preparing pure and high-quality cell populations. If dead cells are not properly removed from a sample, they can release toxins …

Leukopak Cell Washing

Updated on Sep 4, 2024

Doctor holding fresh donor blood

Cell washing is a crucial technique used in both clinical and research settings for various biomedical applications. When trying to produce a pure, isolated population of cells via leukopak processing, cell washing is typically the first step. It removes unwanted cells and other contaminating material, such as proteins and platelets, leaving the apheresis product ready for high-precision cell separation. This enables the isolation of a pure population of cells, which …

Dead Cell Removal Before Cell Separation

Updated on Mar 28, 2025

Modern Medical Research Laboratory: Portrait of Male Scientist Using Microscope, Charmingly Smiling on Camera. Advanced Scientific Lab for Medicine, Biotechnology, Microbiology Development

The removal of dead cells from a cell sample is a critical component of cell separation and purification that can significantly improve the quality and purity of the final product. As techniques for cell separation continue to evolve, researchers are constantly seeking ways to improve efficiency.  If left unremoved, dead cells tend to release cellular debris, which may lead to erroneous results and contamination of the final product. That’s why …

Counterflow Centrifugation

Updated on Mar 28, 2025

Scientists working in the laboratory

What Is Counterflow Centrifugation Elutriation? Centrifuges are one of the most commonly utilized laboratory instruments, applicable for cell separation, purification, and harvesting. Counterflow centrifugation elutriation (CCE) is a liquid clarification technique that separates cells suspended in a solution by size and stage. This process operates based on the differing sedimentation rates of cells or particles of different sizes in a liquid medium under centrifugal force.  CCE is a valuable method …

An Overview of Activation-Induced Cell Death

Updated on Dec 9, 2024

Man, scientist and computer with virus, bacteria and research data in laboratory. Science worker writing notes on vaccine, development or dna on technology, digital analytics or pharmaceutical health

What Is Apoptosis? Cell death is a natural and normal part of the human body’s maintenance mechanisms. Apoptosis means the steady process of programmed cell death that occurs to aid in the body’s growth and development.  Apoptosis regulates the life and death of cells, which affects several body processes like cell turnover, growth, immune functioning, hormone distribution, and hormone atrophy. Cell survival or death directly impacts the immune system’s population …

Cell Growth Factors and Development

Updated on Mar 28, 2025

Destruction of a cell. Conceptual image

What Is a Cell Growth Factor? Cells grow in size as they move through the cell cycle toward eventual mitosis and cytokinesis, or cell division. To move from one stage of cell growth to the next, cells require the stimulation of surface receptors to pass entry checkpoints at each phase of the cell cycle. These signals come from cyclin-dependent kinases (CDK) and their cyclin components.  Growth factors are an extracellular …

Types of Induced Cell Death

Updated on Dec 9, 2024

Medical Development Laboratory: Black Male Scientist Looking Under Microscope, Inspecting Petri Dish. Professionals Working in Advanced Scientific Lab doing Medicine, Vaccine, Biotechnology Research

During a potential infection, the immune system relies on accurate and robust cellular activation and expansion. The massive release of activated effector cells can lead to major inflammation. Although this inflammation is necessary to quell the potential infection, the immune system provides safeguards against uncontrolled inflammation to protect the host from damage.  The immune system implements checkpoints and controls to manage the number of active T cells and inflammation during …

T Cell Transduction

Updated on Dec 9, 2024

What Is T Cell Transduction? The recent development of adoptive cell therapies that specifically and effectively target cancer cells has transformed the field of oncology and the pharmaceutical industry. Early treatments focus on the autologous transfer of a patient’s own cells that have been modified to target their cancer, but newer allogeneic therapies, the transfer of modified cells from a healthy donor, have significant benefits. Modified cells are more readily …

Back to Top