Extracellular Matrices (ECM) Support—Troubleshooting

Geltrex™ Matrix is a basement membrane extract that contains collagen IV, laminin, and other matrix proteins and growth factors that are required for cell adhesion. AlgiMatrix™ Matrix contains only alginate which does not facilitate cell adhesion. There is nothing in the alginate sponges for the cells to interact with.

Yes, try a variety of dilutions to coat the plates. Some customers use a 1:100 dilution and have better results. The optimal dilution is cell-line dependent.

AlgiMatrix™ Matrix is stable for 12 months unopened. Once opened, the entire plate needs to be used.

There is virtually no background staining with alginate. The same surface characteristic that prevents cells from adhering also makes it very difficult for molecules such as fluoresceinated antibodies to adhere, thus essentially no background staining is observed.

When coating the surface with Poly-D-Lysine, make sure that the entire surface is fully covered and that the appropriate volume of coating matrix is applied.

It is possible that the plates were not adequately rinsed with water prior to plating the cells. Residual Poly-D-Lysine is toxic and may be the cause of cell death. It is recommended to rinse the plates with water three times before exposing the cells to the matrix.