Alvetex is a highly porous polystyrene scaffold designed for 3D cell culture.
Cells grown in Alvetex possess a natural tissue-like structure that enables them to function in a more physiologically relevant manner. Alvetex 3D cell culture enables cells maintain their in vivo morphology, behavior and responsiveness within an in vitro model system.
Alvetex is a unique cellular environment
Manufactured to the highest standards of consistency each disc is engineered to a thickness of just 200 µm with pore sizes of 36-40 µm (Alvetex Scaffold). No cell is ever further than 100 µm from the nutrient source enabling easily exchange of nutrients, gases and waste products by passive diffusion across short distances.
Say goodbye to risks of foreign unknown materials such as proteins or cytokines of animal origin — unlike conventional materials used in cell culture Alvetex is made from polystyrene and is completely inert.
Alvetex has been designed for simple and routine use. It uses conventional cell culture plasticware. Therefore any cell biologist can get into Alvetex 3D cell culture.
- No specialist equipment is required
- No changes to media and optimized cell feeding protocols
- Compatible with the majority of down stream analytical techniques.
Maintain natural cell shape and morphology
In conventional 2D cell culture, cells come into contact with the flat surface of the culture vessel (e.g. Petri dish, flask or multi-well plate). In this unnatural environment cells become flattened against the substrate. In this abnormally thin structure there has been significant re-modelling of the internal cellular components. The entire cytoskeleton is re-modeled and organelles such as the nucleus are flattened.
Available in varying formats and sizes.