Introducing Mammalian Cell Colony Formation in the Undergraduate Biology Laboratory

Abstract

Clonogenic assays are a simple and robust method that allow researchers to characterize mammalian cell line features, including the ability of a single cell to grow into a colony. We have used this assay as a tool in the undergraduate biology laboratory, exposing students to a more specialized form of mammalian cell culture and helping them refine scientific research skills and knowledge. In this article, we share an easy and undergraduate-friendly method of using HeLa cells to carry out clonogenic assays. The methods described include the introduction of different treatments to assess their effect in HeLa cell colony formation. In this laboratory exercise, undergraduate students utilize different cell culture techniques such as growing, harvesting, counting, diluting, staining, and imaging cells.