Monthly Archives: September 2016

ScienCell's Mouse Microglia Used in Recent Microglial Activation Research Published in Molecular & Cellular Proteomics Journal

Microglia are a type of macrophage-like glial cell in the central nervous system (CNS) and they function as the brain's primary immune defenders. Upon activation, microglia may act as scavengers, remove tissue debris, and clear damaged cells during CNS development or injury. There is also evidence that microglia are involved in a variety of physiological and pathological processes in the brain through interactions with neurons, other glial cells, and the production of biologically active substances such as growth factors and cytokines.

Researchers at the University of South Florida (Department of Cell Biology, Microbiology, and Molecular Biology) used ScienCell's mouse microglia in their research on the molecular mechanisms behind classical and alternative microglial activation. Through this study, they found a group of proteins differentially

When it comes to primary cell culture, a picture is worth a thousand words. A quality image can convey information on cell morphology, health, culture purity and density. Different types of 2-dimensional microscopy techniques such as phase contrast, relief contrast, and fluorescence microcopy can provide invaluable insight into your cultures when used concurrently.

Phase contrast microscopy enhances contrast by translating cell thickness into levels of grayscale. Thicker regions of the cell, such as the nucleus, will appear darker compared to thinner regions of the cell, such as the cytoplasm. This technique is useful for assessing cell morphology and thus the purity of the culture. It can also indicate the health of the cells, as a darkened cytoplasm is sometimes an indication of damaged or dying cells. Figure 1 demonstrates how human endothelial cell, keratinocyte and fibroblast morphology differs using phase contrast microscopy.

Relief contrast microscopy (also known as Hoffman modulation