Optimizing the cell culture microenvironment

Abstract

The survival, proliferation, and differentiation of cells in culture are determined not only by their intrinsic potential but also by cues provided by the permissive or restrictive microenvironment in which they reside. The robustness and reproducibility of cell culture assays and endpoints relies on the stability of that microenvironment and vigilant attention to the control of variables that affect cell behavior during culture. These often underappreciated variables include, but are not limited to, medium pH and buffering, osmolarity, composition of the gas phase, the timing and periodicity of refeeding and subculture, and the impact of fluctuations in temperature and gas phase composition on frequent opening and closing of incubator doors. This chapter briefly describes the impact of these and other variables on the behavior of cultured cells.