increase binding effectiveness.
Q4: How long can cells be stretched?
A4: The duration depends on cell strain and condition. However, the step motor in a STB-150 and
STB-190XY is made to operate for 15 continuous minutes. The STB-140 models can run for
hours to days if the cooling system is on.
Q5: How can I obtain protein or mRNA samples from the cells attached to the silicone membrane?
A5: (1) Proteins for Western blotting: Wash the cells once with PBS. Add SDS-PAGE sample
loading dye directly into the chamber, and collect the cell extract by using a cell scraper.
(2) Proteins for Immunoprecipitation: Wash the cells once with PBS. Add cell extract buffer
directly into the chamber, and collect the cell extract by using a cell scraper.
(3) RNA: Wash the cells once with PBS (for RNA preparation). Add RNA extraction buffer
directly into the chamber, and collect the cell extract by using a cell scraper.
Q6: I want to use recombinant cells for an experiment.
A6: Direct transfection of cells in the chamber may be possible. However, transfection itself may
damage the cells, which may make getting clear image data difficult. We recommend
performing the transfection in a standard culture dish then transferring the recombinant cells
into the strain chamber.
Q7: Cells seem to be crowded in the center instead of being uniformly distributed throughout the
chamber.
A7: Vibration from the incubator may disrupt the distribution of the cells. We recommend gently
rocking the chamber 15 mins after seeding your cells.
