The GEM™ is designed to maintain the unique in vivo phenotype of your favorite cell line while providing a vehicle for culture transport through the drug discovery process. As a magnetic microcarrier, the GEM not only supports high-density cell culture, but also can be controlled throughout medium exchange or culture collection during manual or automated handling.

Alginate Core As an unbranched polysaccharide, alginate possesses a chemical structure similar to polysaccharide components of human extracellular matrix (ECM). The GEM substrate's compressible hydrogel core also provides a unique porous matrix enhancing cell polarity and increased mimic of in vivo-like metabolic function		Coating The GEM is uniquely coated with a thin molecular layer of gelatin to create a culture surface suitable for a wide range of cell types. Additional coatings such as basement membrane and laminin are employed for attachment of unique cell types, including primary and stem cells. The image (above) is a 70µm confocal Z-projection of CHO cells stained with DAPI (blue), WGA (green), and Phalloidin (red).
Magnetic Magnetic particles within the alginate core simplify culture and assay procedures. The GEM can be easily controlled for dispersion in the LeviTube™, held in place during manual or automated media changes, and for easy collection for downstream applications.		Dissolving The addition of Dissolution™, a cell separation reagent, will dissolve the GEM and gently disassociate cells allowing for the collection of a single cell suspension for downstream applications.
Non-autofluorescence and Optical Clarity The GEM is non-autofluorescent and optically clear, allowing for 3D projection imaging of cells directly on the GEM. The optical clarity of the GEM also allows for absorbance and luminescence assays with cells still attached. Size and Surface Area The GEM has a diameter between 75 and 150µm, providing a curved 3D surface and allowing for trouble-free pipetting. The small diameter also maximizes surface area-to-volume ratio enabling large-scale culture in a compact footprint. To purchase GEMTM products, please click here. Please click here for the brochure.