TC-treated or untreated: choosing the right culture surface

Polystyrene is clear, stable and easy to mould, which is why most cell culture vessels are made from it. On its own, though, polystyrene is hydrophobic, and many cell types struggle to attach to it. Tissue culture (TC) treatment changes that.

What TC treatment does

TC treatment modifies the polystyrene surface so it becomes more hydrophilic. Adherent cells attach, spread and grow more consistently on it. MODMAT dishes, plates and flasks are available with TC treatment to encourage cell adhesion and growth.

When to use untreated vessels

• Suspension cells that grow floating in the medium.
• Work where you want to limit attachment, for example when forming spheroids or harvesting cells without scraping.
• Microbiology, where Petri dishes hold agar rather than adherent cells.

Vented or sealed flask caps

Flask caps matter as much as the surface. A sealed cap keeps a closed environment and suits culture in a CO₂ incubator. A vented cap has a 0.22 µm filter membrane that allows continuous air exchange while keeping microbes out, and suits constant-temperature incubators.

Picking a format

Dishes (35 to 150 mm) give a large flat area for expansion and imaging. Multiwell plates (6 to 96 wells) let you run many conditions side by side. Flasks are built for long-term culture and scale-up; a short, wide, angled neck makes it easier to reach in with a serological pipette or cell scraper.