What is the best way to identify early on if you have just a group of cells lumped together or an actual spheroid? How quickly should you be able to tell?
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Spheroid Culture Advancements – Microplates
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Generally, you can make this distinction using phase contrast or brightfield microscopy. If you have a spheroid, you should not see the edges of the individual cells as you would with just a group of cells lumped together. The timing for this is cell type dependent. For example, HT29 cells typically form a spheroid within 1-2 days, but primary human hepatocytes can take up to 7 days to form a spheroid.