Cell seeding density calculator
Work out the suspension and medium to seed a plate or flask at a target density.
Nominal growth areas. They differ a little between manufacturers and more between surface treatments, so check the catalogue if the density has to be exact.
From a haemocytometer count or a cell counter.
Covers what stays in the reservoir and the pipette.
Suspension into the master mix
Make up to 16.5 mL with 13.33 mL of medium, then dispense 2.5 mL per vessel.
Cells per vessel
480000
Cells per cm²
50000
Seeded at
192000/mL
3170000 cells needed in total · 6.6 vessels-worth prepared
cells/vessel = density × area; V_suspension = cells ÷ stock; V_medium = V_total − V_suspension- Basic techniques for mammalian cell tissue culture — Current Protocols in Cell Biology, 1998
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The count you start from carries its own uncertainty — a haemocytometer read to 100 cells is good to about a fifth, and that error passes straight through to the density seeded here. Where the seeding density matters, count enough cells to earn the precision you are assuming.
About this tool
Convert a seeding density in cells per square centimetre into the volumes to pipette, for standard plates, dishes and flasks. Prepare one master mix and dispense it, or dose each vessel directly, with an overage allowance and a warning when the volume is too small to pipette reliably.
Related tools
- Haemocytometer calculator — Turn a chamber count into cells per millilitre, with the counting error stated.
- Dilution calculator — Work out how much stock and diluent to combine for a target concentration.
- OD600 calculator — Convert optical density to cell density and plan culture dilutions.
Science last reviewed .