PLATFORM FAQs

There are slight nuances and differences in the Apricell plates and platforms as compared to the regular cell culture plates that one is routinely used to for forming and growing organoids or 3D cell models. In this page you can get some of the most frequently asked questions addressed. If you have further questions that are not addressed here, please reach out to us at info@apricell.com or enter your query via the contact us link below.

1. What type of hydrogel are Apricell Plate inserts made of?
The inserts Apricell plates are made of natural polysaccharide-based hydrogel.

2. Is the hydrogel Xeno-free?
Yes. Apricell plate hydrogel inserts contain non-human biomolecules.

3. Can Apricell Plate inserts be embedded in paraffin?
Yes. The hydrogel insert from either plate can be directly embedded in paraffin blocks for tissue sectioning, allowing for spheroid and organoid slices to be obtained. Please refer to our tissue slicing and IHC protocol.

4. Which Apricell Plates are compatible with transwell assays?
The TruSphere 12 well and 24 plates are compatible with transwell inserts, facilitating co-culture or immune cell infiltration studies.

5. Are Apricell Plates compatible with ECM assays?
Yes. Extracellular matrix (ECM) components can be used for ECM-embedded spheroids/organoids in the microwells to create a comprehensive 3D tissue model in both HTSphere and TruSphere plates.

6. Can you seed microwells with a single cell?
We recommend following the cell numbers specified in the seeding protocol to achieve optimal spheroid/organoid uniformity and structural integrity when using Apricell plates. However, for certain cell types and phenotypes, such as stem cells with strong colony-forming capacity, diluting the cell suspension to approximate single-cell seeding per well may be feasible, as these cells can self-aggregate within the microwells. Successful spheroid formation from single cells depends on multiple factors, including cell type, phenotype, and the presence or absence of ECM. For single-cell–based spheroid generation, we recommend using a 24-well plate format.

7. How long can organoids be maintained in Apricell plates?
Spheroids and organoids may be maintained in a TruSphere microwell for weeks and months as long as no contamination issues arise.

8. How would I perform a qPCR using organoids grown in Apricell Plates ?
For gene expression analysis such as qPCR, the spheroids/organoids should be removed from the plate, which can be easily accomplished by rinsing the inserts with the appropriate culture media before following a standard RNA extraction protocol.

9. How would I perform ICC assays within Apricell Plates?
Immunocytochemistry assay (ICC), or any immunofluorescent analysis, can be performed without removing the organoids from the insert. Fixing, staining, and imaging can all be carried out while the organoids or spheroids remain in the microwells.

10. How would I perform an IHC assay of organoids grown in Apricell Plates?
Spheroids within the plates can be used for immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis without removing the organoids for paraffin embedding.

11. Are the Apricell Plates shipped in any storage medium?

Yes, each well contains a minimal amount of PBS/Penicillin-Streptomycin (Pen Strep) to keep the inserts moist and help prevent contamination during long-term storage. Plates are shipped at ambient temperature. According to the cell seeding protocol, the PBS/Pen Strep should be aspirated from the wells before the cell seeding process.

12. Can the inserts be removed from the wells?
The inserts should not be removed before the cell seeding and spheroid formation. However, if an insert needs to be removed after spheroid/organoid forming, it can be done by using a small spatula, which is found in most labs, to gently pull the insert up from the corner of the well while it is still slightly wet with PBS or media.

13. What is the shelf life of Apricell plates?

Apricell Plates including TruSphere™, HTSphere™ and 3-in-1™ plates have a minimum shelf life of 9 months when stored in the refrigerator at 4°C.

14. Are they compatible with standard lab equipment?

Yes, the plates are designed as inserts that fit within standard 6-well, 12-well, 24-well or 96-well plates and are compatible with automated cell dispensing systems.

15. What are the average sizes that organoids reach when cultured in Apricell plates?

Based on our cell-seeding protocol, it depends on the size of the microwell and the initial cell number during the seeding step. However, there is a range of organoid sizes which are feasible:

HTSphere™ Plate - 100 – 400 μm
TruSphere™ Plate - 100 – 700 μm
3-in-1™ Plate - 200 – 500 μm

16. How many organoids can be grown per plate?

The standard formats available are:

HTSphere™ Plate - 1,152 spheroids in 96-well plates
TruSphere™ Plate - up to 3,500 spheroids (depending on the plate size)
3-in-1™ Plate - 24 organoids in 6-well plates