The Multi-Well Glass Bottom Dishes can be used for almost all of the same applications for which the standard glass bottom dishes can be used. The biggest applications are fluorescence/immunofluorescence microscopy, confocal, live cell imaging, microinjection, videomicroscopy, phase contrast and time lapse photomicroscopy.

1: The main advantage of the multi-well glass bottom plates is that you can grow 6, 12, 24 or 96 cultures under identical conditions in the same culture plate. The multi-well plates are ideal for high throughput, high/high content screening applications.
2: Analysis using the multi-well plates is streamlined because only one (1) plate (versus multiple petri dishes) needs to be handled.
3: For a number of applications, treatment of the cultures (e.g., irradiation) is simplified using the multi-well plates.
4: Smaller wells in the glass bottom multi-well plates are useful for application of precious reagents in smaller volumes.

Pharmaceutical Companies (due to high throughput testing), Academic/Research Institutions, and Medical Institutions.

Feedback has been very positive. A number of customers have purchased multi-well plates without first trying a sample based on their previous experience with the standard glass bottom dishes for new users.

For new users, a sample plate is available for evaluation.

The 6-well glass bottom plate can be used with upright or inverted microscopes. However, the 12-well, 24-well and 96-well plates are compatible with inverted microscopes.

Yes.  However, for most applications, cells growing in the glass bottom multi-well plates can be viewed without removal of the coverslips.  If necessary (e.g. for long term storage purposes), the coverslips can be removed using the following procedure:

1. Order Part # PDCF OS 30 (Fluid for removal of coverslips from glass bottom plates, available from MatTek).
2. Place the cover of the multi-well plate on a clean surface top side up. (Do not invert the cover).
3. Pipette 3.0 ml of fluid onto the top side of the cover.
4. Place the bottom of the multi-well plate on top of the cover. The coverslip removal liquid on the cover should be touching the coverslips attached to the bottom of the multi-well plate.
5. Allow the plate to sit in the fluid for 45 minutes at room temperature.
6. Blot the bottom of the multi-well plate using an absorbent paper towel.
7. Place the multi-well plate on a clean surface.  Using forceps, press down on the edge of the coverslips to separate the coverslips from the plate.

Note: If the above procedure is followed, the PDCF OS 30 liquid will not contact the cells and will not disrupt cells on the coverslip or the staining thereof.

You will need to order BOTH a glass bottom multi-well plate and a glass cover. Order any P06G plate (e.g. P06G-1.5-20-F), P12G plate (e.g. P12G-1.5-14-F), or P24G plate (e.g. P24G-1.5-13-F) along with a glass cover (Part# P24GTOP-1.5-F). The glass covers can be re-used following re-sterilization of the covers by soaking them in 70% ethanol for 30 minutes.

We do NOT recommend re-using the glass bottom multi-well plates. The surface properties of the substrate on which cells are cultured have a profound effect on cell structure and function. Reuse of plates will introduce uncontrolled variables into your experiments which may affect the phenomenon under study.

MatTek glass bottom multi-well plates are intended for single-use experiments.

The depth of the micro-wells and the height of the sidewall depends on the type of multi-well plate:

1. 6-well plate: 1.45-1.55 mm/ 17 mm
2. 12-well plate: 1.45-1.55 mm/ 17 mm
3. 24-well plate: 1.10-1.20 mm/ 17 mm
4. 96-well plate: 1.05-1.25 mm/ 10 mm

1. 6-well plate: 10, 14, or 20 mm
2. 12-well plate: 10 or 14 mm
3. 24-well plate: 10 or 13 mm
4. 96-well plate: 5 mm

The body of the glass bottom dishes and multi-well plates is made from polystyrene. Therefore, they have limited compatibility with organic solvents. Please see the chemical compatibility table below.

All glass bottom multi-well plates are gamma irradiated at an FDA approved and certified vendor.  We sterilize our dishes in bulk - typically >2000 separate cases are sterilized at the same time.  Since sterility is an absolute requirement for all of our customers, the gamma dose that we use is excessive in order to ensure sterility. 

Following sterilization, dishes are subjected to our quality control analysis to verify sterility: they are incubated in antibiotic- and anti-fungal-free medium for 7 days.  In addition, each box has a gamma irradiation indicator which turns red upon exposure to gamma rays.

Availability:
Currently, only poly-d-lysine coated 96-well plates are available as standard products (Part #'s: P96GC-0-5-F and P96GC-1.5-0-F).

Special Orders:
All uncoated plates are available coated on a special order basis. However, because no samples of coated multi-well plates are available, it is recommended that you request a sample of the uncoated multi-well plate (to inspect the geometry and/or apply your own coating) along with a coated glass bottom dish (to ensure your cells will grow on the coated glass). This pre-testing is important because special order plates cannot be returned.

Pricing:
Special order plates are $60/case above the corresponding uncoated multi-well plates. There is a $50 special order charge that is waived when 3 or more cases are ordered.

Delivery:
Lead time for special orders is 6-8 weeks.